Survival of the Cutest
by xo.Kyorii
Summary: "Because you see, normal best friends ask for things like movies, emotional support, and bail money. Mine asks me to join him on a lethal teen survival show as his pretend girlfriend." S x K
1. Desperate Measures

**Survival of the Cutest**

**Genre:** Adventure/Romance/Humor  
**Rating:** T for language  
**Disclaimer: **The author does not, in any way, own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. The following material is solely fan fiction, and purely meant for entertainment purposes.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He was in trouble.

He stole another fearful glance at the ripped cheque.

Correction, he was in _big _trouble.

_What am I going to do_? thought an apprehensive Sora. He clutched both sides of his head while pacing around the abandoned cash register. His first instinct was to call his best friend, which he did the instant he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Hello?" answered an all too familiar feminine voice. The speed at which relief flooded through him was incredible.

"Kairi," he breathed, "I need to come over. It's urgent."

"Code red?" she asked.

"Code red," he confirmed.

"I'll get the Disney movies and the pizza ready."

Sora faked a sniffle. "You're such a good friend."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

**1  
Desperate Measures**

* * *

When Kairi opened the door, Sora almost had a heart attack.

"Mother of Buddha," he gasped, taking a step back with a hand over his heart. "I am never going to get used to that," he admitted, walking inside her house for what could possibly be the billionth time. He took in its usual vanilla scent and immediately felt at home.

He then looked at his best friend and cringed. Her entire face was covered in some brown substance that hardened overtime, and her eyes were covered with cucumber slices. Overtime, his facial expression softened, and he chuckled lightly as he took a cucumber slice from one of her eyelids and popped it into his mouth. Kairi lifted the other slice from her eye and looked at Sora in disgust.

"You know that touched mud, right?" she asked. "And you just ate it. That's nasty."

"Says the one who has it all over her face," Sora retorted playfully, victoriously.

"Touché," said Kairi. She handed him the TV remote whilst walking towards the bathroom where she could wash her face and blush in secret. There was something about Sora in his work uniform that she found highly attractive. Since he worked at a sporting goods store, he was forced to wear a tight fitting red sports shirt with matching black shorts. It was simple, but it did well to compliment his fit figure.

Thinking such thoughts may have made it seem like Kairi had a crush on her best friend, but she didn't. She had gone down that road before, and she was sure not to travel it again.

Sure, his ocean blue eyes may have been alluring and his unruly chocolate brown hair could have been the most adorably messy thing in the world and his well chiseled features and healthy tan may have been irresistible, but all that was behind her now. Literally.

When she walked back into the living room, Sora shielded his eyes from the couch.

"Augh, it's hideous!" he shrieked with fake horror. "Put the mask back on!"

Kairi rolled her eyes and sat next to him with her legs sprawled across his lap –a proximity they were both highly accustomed to. "So, what exactly is the urgent matter?"

In response, Sora dug into the pockets of his shorts and tossed the ripped cheque onto Kairi's transparent coffee table.

Kairi blinked twice. "Well shit."

"I know," Sora groaned, rolling over so that his face was near her neck and chest, causing his next words become muffled. "What are we going to do?"

"_We_?" Kairi giggled. She began playing with his unusually spiky hair. "It's not _my_ fault that you got fired from work._ You _should've been helping customers as opposed to texting in the warehouse."

Sora lifted his head up to look at her with a smirk. "Actually, you're to blame as much as me."

"Excuse me?" Kairi asked incredulously.

"Who was I texting in the warehouse?" Sora asked slyly.

Kairi turned red. "Okay, that's-"

"_Exactly_," Sora chuckled, poking at her sides. "You are now obligated to help me."

"Ew, no," Kairi giggled, pulling his wrists away from her weak spot.

Sora pouted at her. "Fine, then do it because you love me?"

"Gross," she teased. The doorbell rang. "That's the pizza," Kairi sung, skipping towards the door while digging for munny in her short shorts.

"Fingers crossed that it's that really hot guy from last time," Sora teased. Kairi rolled her eyes at him before answering the door.

"You know, if you keep ordering this stuff you're going to get fat."

"Ew," Kairi whined, "it's you."

"Yeah, yeah, as if I'm thrilled to see your hideous face," replied the delivery boy. He walked inside and tossed the pizza boxes onto the coffee table. He was tall, rather lanky for his height, and sported the same red hair colour as Kairi.

"How many times do you need to get depressed anyway?" the young man asked Sora.

The brunet greeted him with a toothy grin. "Nice to see you too, Axel."

"What is it this time?" asked Kairi's older brother. He spotted the cheque on the table and laughed. "Oh, you're screwed. Don't you need to help pay for your university tuition or something?"

Sora stood up and bowed before him sarcastically. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. Thank you for that completely new information." He proceeded in taking a pizza slice from one of the boxes and disrespectfully spoke with his mouth full. "I need a job!"

"You need a beer," Axel advised.

"Its noon," Kairi reminded with a disapproving hand on her hip.

"So?" Axel ran for the kitchen. "Here's my personal philosophy: somewhere in the galaxy, its midnight, so bottoms up!" He tossed Sora a can and began chugging his own. The brunet caught it with ease but didn't open it. "You're not drinking," Axel pointed out.

"Kairi's right, its noon," Sora admitted sheepishly.

Kairi patted his head appreciatively. "Aww, who's cute?"

"Me!" Sora replied like a child. He then looked at Kairi with an adorable pout. "Can't I just work at your place?"

"Sorry, my manager isn't looking to hire anyone for the summer," Kairi informed with dismay. "A lot of people have asked, but they've all been rejected. We have too many workers as it is."

"But it's a froyo place! It should be _packed_ during the summer!" Sora whined. "Surely he needs to hire more people?" Kairi shook her head with disappointment.

Axel let out an obnoxious burp. "Whatever. You don't really need a job; you just need a lot of munny, and fast."

"So you're suggesting I rob a bank," Sora answered.

"Or you could become a male stripper," Kairi laughed.

Sora sent her a dirty smirk. "Kairi, if you wanted to get with all this, all you had to do was ask."

"_Anyway_," Axel continued, getting impatient with the unnecessary flirting, "I have an idea."

"Does it involve anything illegal?" Sora asked.

"No, shut up. Remember my friend Demyx? The one who moved to Twilight Town?" Axel paused to make sure the two were following. Judging by their nodding, they seemed to be doing just fine. "Well, he now works as an audio producer for some TV show. I think he can help you guys out."

Sora immediately looked at Kairi with a hopeful smile on his face.

"No," Kairi replied almost instantly.

"Aww, why not?" Sora whined.

"Because it's _Demyx_," came Kairi's reasoning.

"Hey!" Axel exclaimed, offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hm, oh I don't know, maybe the idea of trusting you guys is just a little sketchy considering that you all used to be part of a gang called the XIII?" Kairi asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That was like six months ago!" Axel claimed. "We are all changed men and women who have put our troublesome ways behind us."

"Oh I'm sure," Kairi replied sarcastically with narrowed eyes.

"Kairi please," Sora pleaded. "Just give it a chance. We'll hear what he has to say, and if it seems like a bad idea, then we won't do it. Please, Kairi." He held her by her elbows. "Just give it a chance."

Kairi sensed the desperation in his eyes and sighed. "All right, but the instant it becomes dangerous, we're out."

"Yes!" he squealed, lifting her off the ground. "Thank you, Kairi! Thank you!"

"Don't get too excited yet," Axel warned. "You need to get the job first."

"Yes, Axel, yes. We'll do anything," Sora eagerly agreed.

Axel took another swig at his beer before setting it on the coffee table. "All right. Meet me at your training grounds tomorrow at lunch then. See you there."

"Wait, why?" Kairi asked, clearly suspicious as her brother walked towards the door.

"You'll see," Axel replied mysteriously before kicking the door shut behind him.

* * *

Sora closed his eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the familiar scent of grass, dirt, and trees that he had come to know since he was a child. He felt the warmth of the sun against his face and exhaled. He slid a foot in front of the other and raised his arms to form the stance he was most accustomed to. He then raised his blade towards his opponent and opened his eager eyes with a smirk.

"Are you ready?" Kairi asked, adjusting her protective gauntlet.

"Are _you_?" Sora taunted playfully.

Kairi smiled in return. "Don't hold back."

"Oh I won't," Sora promised.

Then he recklessly sprinted forward.

Kairi easily dodged his first attack by performing a back flip with ease. The instant both her feet planted themselves on the ground, Sora swung his blade above her head. She blocked it with her own blade, and the blades sang upon contact. When Sora stumbled backward, his best friend immediately switched to an offensive position and bombarded her opponent with many swift attacks, all of which Sora dodged with ease.

"What's wrong, Kairi?" Sora asked playfully in the middle of her attacks. "Not in the mood for magic today?"

Kairi smirked in return. Her key shaped blade began to glow bright orange at the tip. Sora waited and listened for the flame before deflecting it with his own fire. Kairi struck again, but this time with thunder. Sora dodged it by quickly sidestepping to the right. He tried to hit his opponent from that angle with a blizzard spell, but Kairi had already sent a current of air in his direction, causing him to fly backward. Sora managed to land on his feet, but not after receiving a few scratches from his previous tumbling.

Sora took a deep breath again and examined their surroundings. The training grounds they had been training on since they were fourteen had hardly changed over the years. It was located at the backyard of their masters' house, located on the highest hill of Destiny Islands. For the most part, it was full of grass and trees, but a large portion of it was covered with elaborately designed cement to create a circular shaped arena that was surrounded by large rocks.

"Come on Sora!" Sora's master, Ventus, cheered from the cemented stairway. His student wiped the side of his mouth before turning his keyblade a strange red colour.

The instant Kairi came running towards him, Sora sliced the air horizontally, causing the red spell to spread and hit his best friend before she could dodge it. She immediately slowed down in mid-air as if she were moving in slow motion. Sora took this opportunity to run forward and slash her, but he was too late. "Slow" was his most recent and weakest spell. It only lasted two seconds.

When Kairi broke out of the spell, she readied herself in a defensive position. Sora's blade then began to glow orange and red. Transparent roman numerals swirled around the edges in a circular fashion, and soon enough, they consumed him. He immediately began to move two times faster than he did before. His keyblade became a staff, and as he swung it forward like a windmill, he sent a series of powerful and quick spells towards his opponent.

All Kairi could do was dodge each attack by holding her blade in front of herself, taking a step back as each spell hit her with more force. She was nearing the edge of the arena, she was well aware of that, and she wracked her brain for some sort of evasive strategy.

"Kairi is more conservative and strategic with her magic," her master, Aqua, observed from beside Ventus. "Sora is much more impulsive and reckless _like someone I know_."

Ventus scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

When Sora delivered what could presumably be his final blow, Kairi's blade turned white, and a large dome immediately surrounded her, sending Sora flying backward, out of the arena, and into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"Woo!" Kairi cheered victoriously, "Ring out!"

Kairi's master, Aqua, immediately ran to Sora's side and began healing his aching back.

"Good job, Kairi," Ventus congratulated when he ran to her side. "I never knew your Reflega was that strong!"

Kairi blushed modestly. "What can I say? I've been practicing."

"That was a good one," Sora complimented hoarsely when he returned to the arena. He dismissed his keyblade in a flurry of twinkling lights. "A little cheap using my own attacks against me, but smart, nonetheless."

_Clap. Clap. Clap._

"Bravo, Kairi. Bravo. And bravo to you, Sora. That was simply incredible."

All sights turned to the top of the staircase where Axel and Demyx were standing. As they made their way down to the arena, Demyx continued to applaud them.

"M-my apologies Master Aqua and Master Ventus," came the panicky voice of one of the household maids. "They just barged in without permission and-"

"It's okay," Ventus assured with a smile. "We know them."

"So do you think they have a decent chance?" Axel asked, pausing just before the arena.

"I think they have a more than decent chance," Demyx replied with a smile.

"What is this about?" Aqua asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Well Sora here is in dire need of munny, and we know just how he could get it within a week's time," Axel answered proudly.

"So you're suggesting he rob a bank," said Aqua.

"Or he could become a male stripper!" Ventus chimed. Kairi high-fived him. They officially had the coolest masters ever.

"No, we suggest that they make themselves contestants on _Survival of the Cutest_," Demyx answered excitedly. "We start filming in about two weeks."

Aqua, Ventus, and Kairi busted out laughing. Sora, on the other hand, actually seemed to be considering it.

_Survival of the Cutest_ was, by far, the most well known TV series that aired galaxy wide. It consisted of ten young couples, all of which had to face gruesome challenges in a simulated arena. Twilight Town currently had an abundance of teenagers and young adults, so naturally it was no surprise that such a show became an instant hit. Everyone knew the whole point of the show wasn't just for survival, but to bring out some drama amongst the contestants, and everyone loved watching drama unfold before their eyes live on the big screen.

Well, almost everyone. Kairi found it stupid.

"You told me Demyx worked for some TV show, but you didn't tell me it was the _stupidest show known to man_!" Kairi giggled.

"Hey!" Demyx screamed, offended. "It happens to be the most successful show in Twilight Town, thank you very much!"

"Gaining votes and winning money just by faking cuteness?" Kairi snorted. "That's just pathetic. And have you seen the couples on that show? They're all annoying, fake, and desperate. Who even watches that stuff?"

"Adults, young adults, teenage girls?" Sora responded. Then, in a secretive whisper, "And some teenage boys…"

"I think it sounds like fun," Ventus chuckled.

"It sounds _dangerous_," Aqua and Kairi said at the same time. Aqua smiled at her pupil. She truly saw a great deal of herself within her.

"It's not like they actually let anyone die in there," Sora pointed out. "The simulations were originally created for military use, so it's totally safe. Besides, we all know that the real point of the show is to get some drama and cute moments out of the couples."

"But that's our one crucial problem," Kairi mumbled. "_Survival of the Cutest_ is for couples _only_."

Axel snickered and leaned an elbow on Demyx's shoulder. Everyone would thank him for this later.

Sora didn't even blush. "Girl, please. I know you, and you know me. We've been best friends since, well, birth almost. All we need to do is talk cute and hug a little and _bam_, insta-couple."

Kairi hugged one of her arms. "Sora, I don't know…"

"Come on Kairi. Why wouldn't you help your best friend in his dire time of need?"

"Because you see, normal best friends ask for things like movies, emotional support, and bail money. Mine asks me to join him on a lethal teen survival show as his pretend girlfriend," Kairi answered.

"I think it's a great idea," Ventus intervened.

Aqua elbowed the younger man and discreetly whispered a reminder into his ear. "You're being insensitive. Don't you remember that Sora and Kairi used to date?"

"I know," Ventus whispered in return. "This would be a great opportunity for them to get back together." Aqua pursed her lips together, now unsure.

"I'm going to say no," Kairi decided with dull eyes. The air immediately grew tense.

Demyx's smile turned upside down. "But Kairi, it only takes a week of filming-"

Kairi interrupted him. "No thank you, Demyx."

Sora took a step towards her. "But Kairi-"

"I said no, Sora," she said sternly. It came out as a warning. "I told you that the instant this became dangerous, I would back out. Please respect my decision." She then started walking back towards their master's mansion wordlessly.

Sora sighed heavily. He hated upsetting Kairi.

"Kairi, wait!" Aqua called out, but her pupil didn't stop.

* * *

He tried calling, texting, facebooking, tumblring, and skyping her for three days, but he got no reply.

* * *

He visited her at work on the fourth day.

Kairi worked at Brain Freeze: a successful self-serve frozen yogurt bar with a bubbly atmosphere. It was about a fifteen-minute walk away from her house and was located at the heart of Destiny Islands, thus attracting many young children and students from all over the island. The bar was circular in shape and had a lime green and hot pink colour scheme. In the center, the cashier/ bar/ topping station was also circular in shape. Various sized white bubbles served as lights in the center of the ceiling. Yogurt machines housing a vast array of flavours were built against the wall on the edges, and small tables for two were set up near the front of the store with beanie bag chairs for comfort.

"So are you and Sora still not talking?" Kairi's co-worker and close friend, Selphie Tilmitt, asked with concern.

"Nope," said Kairi, popping the "p" as she wiped the bar clean with a towel.

"Well it looks like you're going to have to," said Selphie, pointing at the curved wall made entirely out of glass.

When Sora walked through the door, Kairi immediately noticed that his right hand was behind his back and that he was dressed in a pastel blue button up and beige chinos. Kairi raised an eyebrow. This was going to be interesting.

"Hey," Sora greeted as he approached the bar.

"Hey," Kairi responded, clearly surprised to see him there.

"I'll be in the back," Selphie informed, already making her way there.

"What are you doing here?" Kairi asked, putting herself behind the cash register.

"Well, since you weren't answering any of my messages, I figured that I'd come visit you personally," Sora explained. He then brought his hand out in front of him, revealing a bouquet of purple hyacinths and a Kinder Surprise on a stick in the center. "My mom told me that the flowers mean 'I'm sorry' and I know that purple's your favourite colour and that Kinder Surprises are your favourite, so…"

Kairi ended his rambling by accepting his gifts with a warm smile. "Thank you, Sora. You are forgiven."

The brunet jumped over the counter and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry if you felt like I was forcing you," he murmured into her hair.

She smelt his cologne and sighed in delight. "It's okay."

"Aww," they heard someone from the back room squeal.

Kairi only rolled her eyes as she gently pushed Sora off of her. "So what are you going to do about the munny thing now?"

"Roxas tried helping me find a job, but no one's hiring part time anymore since the summer's coming to an end," Sora answered with a crestfallen expression. "So I really don't know."

Kairi pouted when she saw the panic in his eyes. The only option he had left was in Twilight Town, and she was holding him back.

"Sora," she started soothingly. "I didn't hear you out last time, which was pretty unfair on my part, so let me hear what you have to say."

"No, Kairi. I'm not forcing you again." Typical Sora. Always running from the problem.

"But I want to hear your side. Please," she pleaded. When he said nothing, she realized that she would have to be the one to ease it out of him. "Sora, you do understand why I refused, right?"

"Could you enlighten me more?" he asked.

Kairi chuckled. "Because it's dangerous," she answered simply.

"But no one's actually died on that show," said Sora.

"I didn't mean just physically, Sora."

Sora grabbed her by the shoulders and held back a laugh. "Wait, wait, Kairi. Are you implying that this might affect us _emotionally_?"

His redheaded beauty blushed. "I-I mean, the idea isn't exactly farfetched!"

He finally let out his laugh and shook her. "You are so cute!"

Kairi turned even redder. "This isn't funny!"

"This isn't some Korean drama, Kairi. This is real life!"

"Sora, people change in that arena," Kairi then said seriously. "You may be fit physically, but if you're sensitive, which you _are_, then you could get really caught up in the jist of things and turn into some sort of monster. You may never be the same again."

"Kairi, I am nothing but true to myself," Sora reminded. "I do what I want, and the matter of how I do it is highly dependent on my personality, which, as you can tell by my childishness, hasn't changed much. I'll be fine." He then gripped her shoulders tighter for reassurance. "You'll be fine."

"I don't know." Kairi pouted. "This is kind of a shot in the dark. There's no guarantee as to what will happen. What if you lose?"

"Then I lose, live life as a hobo, and live on your couch for the rest of my life," Sora answered with a cheeky grin.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Sora, I'm serious."

Sora sighed. "I don't know, okay? I may be eighteen, but I don't have the answers for everything. I'll figure it out eventually. I'll deal with that problem when we get there, but for now, we shouldn't let the fear of missing keep us from shooting the ball."

Kairi pouted even more. "I guess, but-"

Two new customers then entered the premises, both blond in hair colour with smiles on their faces.

"Hey Roku," Sora greeted as his twin brother approached them with a girl on his arm. "Oh, and Naminé! Hey girl!" Sora greeted with a flick of his wrist.

"And as you can see, you're dating the more masculine twin," Roxas informed his girlfriend with a chuckle.

"Ha ha, funny," said Sora.

"You know what I find funny?" Roxas asked as he and Naminé walked over to the cash register. "The fact that you lost your job." Naminé elbowed him for being rude. "Okay, sorry! But really, this is what happens when you don't take your job seriously."

"You've never had a job!" Sora complained. "I'm sorry not all of us can get into Twilight Town University with a highly valued scholarship!"

"Calm down, Sora, we can fix this," his brother assured with calming hand gestures. He knew his brother was sensitive about the topic of their fast approaching post-secondary life. "I think we should really consider the _Survival of the Cutest_ idea."

Sora smirked at Kairi but directed his question towards his brother. "Isn't it a great idea?"

"Oh no, we think it's completely barbaric," answered Naminé. Kairi smiled triumphantly.

"However," argued Roxas (Kairi stopped smiling at this); "it is the only option we have that guarantees the highest chance of success."

"You seriously think that participating on a fatal teen survival show guarantees more success than Sora getting another job?" Kairi asked with disbelief.

Naminé cleared her throat, put on her fake hipster glasses, and selected the calculator app on her phone. "According to our calculations, if Sora somehow manages to find a job now, he'll only get paid minimum wage. At this rate, he'll never reach his goal by the end of the summer. He has only made 1500 munny out of the 5000 his parents have requested, see?" Naminé turned the screen towards her cousin.

"It just says cosine-"Kairi started, but was rudely interrupted.

"However," Naminé continued, "if you and Sora, two of the three teenagers that can call upon the keyblade on Destiny Islands, join the competition, you could win a minimum of 6000 munny and a maximum of 10,000. Furthermore, to increase his chances of winning, it is highly reasonable to-"

Roxas interrupted her. "Babe, I'm sorry. Let me handle this." Roxas snatched the phone from her hands and cleared the commands on the calculator. "Here's what's going down bitches. _Survival of the Cutest_ states that a maximum of 4 competitors from each world may compete in the competition with two guests per team to keep them company from the sidelines, so you will go with Sora into that arena to ensure victory while Naminé and I monitor you."

"Do I _have_ to?" Kairi whined.

"Hobo, couch," Sora reminded jokingly with a half-laugh.

The upbeat Sora may have laughed, but his best friend could see right through him. Kairi could see in his eyes that he was terrified –not of the challenge, but of letting the opportunity slip away. Without this opportunity, this last chance, Roxas and Naminé were right. Sora had no chance. He'd stay behind on Destiny Islands until he could afford to leave. He needed this, and the only person standing in his way was her. As his best friend, she shouldn't have been holding him back. She should've been helping him grow, and if joining something risky was what it took to do that, then something risky was going to be done, just as long as Sora was happy. She didn't want him scared. She didn't want him upset for disappointing his loved ones. She wanted him to smile. Always.

With that being said, Kairi inhaled sharply and sighed. "Call Axel and tell him we're in. We leave for Twilight Town in two days."

**tbc**

* * *

**Fun fact:** This has been collecting dust on my computer for about a year now. I just reread it this afternoon, and I thought it was a shame to put it to waste. Was I right in making that decision? That remains to be seen lol.

The writing is a little different from what I'm capable of doing now and I'm not entirely confident in some parts, but I decided to keep 99% of it the same for reference. I hope you liked it, because I thought it was quite an entertaining read when I reread it! My old documents suggest that I have a few chapters already pre-planned, so I hope I can figure out the rest on the way with some input! Overall, the story shouldn't be too long. I'm guessing around ten chapters or so, give or take a few.

The reason I posted this is actually because I originally had another Adventure/Romance story in mind, but since majority of my readers are accustomed to Romance/Humor, I decided to bring this back to life for a test run. This does have more emphasis on romance and humor, but the easing in of the adventurous twist will determine the results of my upcoming story. However, I will admit that this concept is pretty farfetched and unrealistic. Hunger Games meets TFIOS and Twilight?

I'm totally kidding. Shh.

If you've read my material before, I know what you're thinking: what the heck are you doing writing this crap when you could be writing Teenage Wasteland? Good question. I'm in the midst of rereading it right now, and amidst the cringing at _dat writing doe_, I'm slowly but surely trying to get back on my high horse. To those of you who are still here, I truly appreciate your patience!

Please kindly leave a review to tell me what you thought of this hot mess, I apologize for any grammar errors, and I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can!

**Kyorii**

**PS.** If you've purchased my book "Eighteen", I think around two scenes in this chapter may have been familiar to you. They actually originated from this story.


	2. Something From The Past

After moving his queen on the chessboard, Roxas finally stopped tapping his chin and spoke up. "So in order for you two to even stand a chance at winning, you'll need some sort of angle."

Sora, who was previously watching the clouds outside the airplane window with amusement, turned to wake up Kairi who was asleep on his shoulder.

"Is there something wrong with our normal selves?" Sora asked, faking offense.

"Honesty is the best policy," Kairi advised with a yawn.

"Kairi, we don't have time for your Dumbledore bullshit right now," Roxas snapped, although he retained some sort of playfulness in his voice. "Honesty will get you two nowhere in this competition. Being yourself will place you in the bottom for sure."

Naminé chuckled while moving one of her pawns. "What uplifting and motivating advice."

"What I mean is this: _Survival of the Cutest_ is couple-centric, and since you two aren't a real couple, it'll take a lot of convincing," Roxas reminded. "A lot of the couples there will be trying to do what you're doing: faking it for the money, but most of them can't and won't pull it off as well as we can. Our goal is to make you more believable than the fake couples, and better than the real ones. We only have a few weeks until the competition begins, so until then, we're going to play up your best friend relationship and work on making you the cutest couple known to man. By the time I'm done with you, your pictures will be all over tumblr with unnecessary filters and cheesy quotes."

Kairi and Naminé gulped. As females who have watched an excessive amount of dramas in their lifetime, they knew this plan could only go one way, and like their landing plane, that way was down.

* * *

**2  
Something From The Past**

* * *

"Fair, Sora," the brunet informed the young woman behind the front desk. She nodded and typed his name on the hologram style keyboard with her perfectly manicured nails.

"Yes, Mr. Fair. Reservation for four?" she asked. He nodded with his typical Sora smile. She returned the kind gesture and began typing away again. "So you're here for _Survival of the Cutest_, huh?" she asked casually, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"Um, yes," Sora answered, though he didn't see the relevance in revealing the information. "How'd you know?"

"It says so on the computer." The young woman suddenly giggled, tucking some of her hair behind her left ear. "That's a shame. You're pretty cute."

Sora blushed as she handed him two key cards. "Thank you, Miss."

She winked at him playfully. "Enjoy your stay in Twilight Town."

"I will," he said awkwardly. Then, as if reminding her, he added, "with my _girlfriend_", and he pulled Kairi to his side by the waist. Confused, Sora squeezed her waist, and she got the hint. Kairi merely waved at the secretary, timid and shy with tinted cheeks. Sora then dragged her away with his arm awkwardly placed on her hip.

In the center of the lobby, Naminé and Roxas stared at the ceiling with awe.

"I got the goods," Sora whispered discreetly. "Now let's get out of here."

"Dude, have you seen this place?" Roxas asked, face coated with disbelief as his eyes remained fixated on the lights. "They have chandeliers _inside_ chandeliers."

"That's great, Roxas. Now come on," he urged, still feeling the young woman's eyes on him.

Roxas, snapping out of his trance, looked at his brother and cringed. "Wow, you two have a lot of warming up to do if you want to win this thing."

Sora blushed as he cleared his throat and released Kairi from his grasp. Roxas then took the keycards from his brother and narrowed his cerulean eyes at them in suspicion. "These are for the highest floor."

"What?" Sora asked, not bothering to check the cards beforehand. He looked at his brother with hopeful eyes. "You don't think…"

* * *

"Whoa," Sora breathed.

Their room—more like epitome of awesome, really—was nothing short of amazing. The highest floor of Sunset Hill Hotel was situated for _Survival of the Cutest_ contestants only, and considering that everyone involved was practically going to risk their lives for munny and glory within the next two weeks, nothing but the best treatment beforehand was necessary.

The room was modern, spacious, and undoubtedly fit for a teenager. The walls were a dark, metallic grey, but the bright and oddly shaped furniture did well to create balance to the place as a whole. The glass walls on the far side were tinted, and the curtains drawn to the side were deep purple. Uniquely shaped chandeliers and pin lights illuminated the room alongside a giant, cylindrical lava lamp placed in the center of the living room. To their right was an open kitchen, and to their left was a hallway that presumably led to a series of rooms like bedrooms, bathrooms, and probably an entertainment room.

In short, it was nothing compared to the bungalows they had back home.

"This is awesome!" Sora squealed. "Though I will admit the aquarium is a little much," he said, referring to the built in aquariums on the sides of the entrance hallway.

"Maybe they thought we'd get homesick?" Kairi joked.

"Well they do need a nice place to film the behind the scenes action," Naminé reminded.

"Well, I'm glad you all like it, because you're going to be spending a heck of a lot of time in here," said Roxas.

"_What_?" The fake couple cried.

"What, did you two really expect to go out in public right away with no preparations whatsoever? You two were downright awkward in the lobby. You might as well kiss any chances of winning munny goodbye," Roxas snarled. "Now that we're on the top floor, people will know that you're part of the competition, and they'll expect you to act like a couple."

Sora pouted. "But how are we supposed to explore the town?"

"You can do that _after_ your training," said Roxas.

The brunet pulled the curtains aside and whimpered. He pressed his nose against the glass with tears on the brink of his eyes. The view of the town at night was simply spectacular, and he growled at his brother for keeping him from such a place.

Roxas raised his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me. This was your idea."

Sora banged his head on the glass. His brother was right.

* * *

"How did you two meet?"

"We've been friends practically since birth, so I can hardly recall the memory. But I'm pretty sure she was already the most adorable thing ever like she is now."

"How long have you two been dating?"

"Seven months, two weeks, and three days."

"How did you ask her out?"

"I have a job at Starbucks and instead of putting her name on her order I asked her to be my girlfriend."

"Where was your first date?"

"At my house. Disney movies, pizza, and a scented candle. Our idea of romance."

"First kiss?"

"On the bent paopu tree in the sunset."

"What was she wearing?"

"Her favourite pink dress with a zipper in the front designed by Stella Fleuret."

From across the living room couch, Roxas crossed his arms with a proud smirk. "I think you're ready, brother."

"Augh, I already feel like less of a man just saying those words," Sora spat with disgust.

"Hey, the crowd wants what the crowd wants."

"Are you even sure they're going to ask these set of questions this season?" asked an unsure Sora.

Every year, the day before the challenges begun in the arena, every couple on the show had to participate in a live interview to give the audience a taste of the contestants they would be watching. The fake couples saw it as a hassle; the real couples saw it as an invasion of privacy. Sora and Kairi, who had nothing to hide, saw it as an opportunity to make them the crowd's favourite couple. With their advantageous friendship and joyful and spontaneous personalities, they figured pleasing the crowd wouldn't be insanely difficult. They would be the funny, non-cliché, lovable couple that constantly teased each other like old times for the viewer's entertainment.

Challenges in the arena were based on daily votes on the online website. Couples voted the 'cutest' would receive the easiest challenges for the day, whereas those who did not receive many or any votes at all would face the challenges of the vast unknown.

"I'm positive," Roxas replied. "I've been watching the previous seasons for the past week and I've noticed a pattern. I'm certain they'll ask you this set."

"If you say so," Sora mumbled while scratching the back of his head.

Back in the girls' bedroom, Kairi and Naminé sat on the couch watching TV in their pajamas while eating Chinese takeout.

"So how are you holding up?" Naminé asked as she struggled to fish the last of her chow mein at the bottom of the small box.

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked, mouth full of lemon chicken.

"You know what I mean," Naminé insisted. "You've been acting like this trip has posed no threat to you whatsoever for the last week."

Kairi shrugged. "If it means getting Sora the money and making him happy, then I don't see a fault anywhere."

Naminé raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Okay, that act might work around Sora and Roxas, but it doesn't work around me. Kairi, I'm your cousin and your best friend. Do you know what that means? It means the same blood runs through our veins, and I sense you feel differently about the situation on the inside." The young woman then made chomping motions with her chopsticks. "Don't try to hide from me, missy."

Kairi dropped her now empty box of food and raised her hands in surrender dramatically. "Okay, you got me. I'm sorry, officer."

"Seriously Kairi, I know you're scared that the past will repeat itself," Naminé finally said out loud.

Kairi sighed. A real sigh.

She and Sora dated once.

It was about two years ago, when they were around sixteen. At first, it felt magical. They were two best friends who had finally admitted their romantic affections toward each other, and from then on, they were _supposed_ to stay together like couples did in the movies, but since reality wasn't like the movies (it was either better or, unfortunately, worse), their relationship ended differently.

After a few weeks, they began to fight. A lot. A lot about things they couldn't even remember anymore.

And although they should have tried to work things out, they did what typical worrisome teenagers did and ran away from their problems. She didn't want to fight with him, and he didn't want to fight with her. It was too risky for their friendship that they so desperately didn't want to lose. When they returned to the comfort of each other's arms, they would only pretend nothing happened, and go on with the fight unresolved.

This, naturally, got them nowhere, and when Kairi realized this, she broke it off.

Things were much easier and less risky when they were best friends, so from then on, they remained best friends and pretended it never happened. It was difficult to be around each other at first, but the awkward air soon dissipated and they returned to their normal routine.

Presently, Kairi snapped out of her trance of flashbacks and locked eyes with a worried Naminé.

"You know that it's highly probable that one of you will fall for the other in there, right?" she asked. _Or both,_ Naminé mentally added.

"I know," Kairi admitted with puffed cheeks. "I tried saying no because of that, but I had to understand where he was coming from. He needs me." But the redhead knew herself. She was a hopeless romantic, and the idea of falling in love on live television while Sora saved her from danger was highly appealing to her.

"Don't worry, no matter what happens, you'll always still have me!" Naminé reminded optimistically. "Even when we die, we're still of the same blood!"

Kairi grinned. "I know." She then proceeded in opening her fortune cookie, where she received a nightmare of a fortune.

_Something from your past will return. _

Kairi sweatdropped. When Sora said that this wasn't going to be like some Korean drama, he lied.

* * *

"Now that you two are given the background knowledge of the part, it's time to _look_ the part," informed Roxas, pacing around the apple green coffee table of the living room. "You two have purposely been trapped in your hotel rooms for a week now to avoid the public, but you have to get out sooner or later, and ladies and gentlemen, today is that later. Now hold hands," he ordered.

The best friends turned red. The delivery of the demand was so blunt, so nonchalant.

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "Look, I care about your feelings and don't mean to be cruel, but if you want to win this thing, you two need to stop thinking about what happened in the past. I know it might be hard, but it's only for a week. You know what you signed up for, you've already started training, and you've already signed the wavers and official documents for it, so do it."

After a sharp inhale, Sora laced his hands with Kairi. Nostalgia washed over them both.

"Good. Stick with this and a few hugs in public," Roxas suggested. "You don't want to come across as the couple who shows too much affection."

Kairi saluted jokingly. "Yes, Captain."

"Now get out there and convince the public that you're a couple so that they're not surprised to see you on the show; stay on the premises of the hotel though!" demanded a strict Roxas, practically kicking them out of the room. When the door shut behind the fake couple, Naminé placed a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Roxas," she warned sternly, "be careful with them."

* * *

"Well now what?" Kairi asked, releasing her hand from his in the elevator.

"What do you mean now what?" Sora asked, flabbergasted mostly because their hands weren't interlaced anymore. "We're in the best hotel in Twilight Town for the most successful show on TV. I'm there's tons of things to do here and tons of way to get in shape!"

"But Roxas said…" the redhead started, twiddling her thumbs.

Sora put his arm around her in a friendly, supportive fashion, no longer pretending. "Forget what Roxas said. Besides, we both know why he really sent us out of the room."

Kairi's jaw dropped. "You don't think…"

The brunet smiled mischievously. "I do."

* * *

"Roxas, I'm scared. I-it's my first time."

"I know. Don't worry; I'll go easy on you."

"Are you sure it'll be okay?"

"It'll be a little hard at first, but you'll get used to it."

The frail blonde girl took a deep breath and looked her lover in the eyes. "Okay. I'm ready."

Without further ado, Roxas dropped the miniature soccer ball into the foosball table and started the match. Naminé managed to score within ten seconds time.

"Woo!" the artist cheered. "In your face son! Unh!"

* * *

"What are you in the mood for, baby?" Kairi asked teasingly. Sora scrunched his nose as he took her hand in his.

"Ew," he said as the elevator doors parted. "Please don't call me that."

"Good, I hate using pet names anyway," Kairi admitted, but Sora already knew this from before. "And you know how much I love your name, Sora."

Sora tried not to shudder. The way her voice sounded when she said his name over the years had certainly changed, and at eighteen, hearing his name come from her mouth was utter perfection in its greatest form. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard.

"S-so what do you want to do?" Sora asked, pulling at his collar.

Kairi's eyes wandered around the lobby. She saw the way people looked at her and Sora. Older couples looked at them with loving smiles, all probably thinking the same thing: "_Young love_." Some of the younger couples gave also them admirable looks, and others either tried to pay no mind to them or frowned in their direction, a sure sign of jealousy. Almost every single teenage girl that looked in her direction frowned, and Kairi knew why.

Sora was a pretty handsome guy, and he was apparently taken.

Sora also noticed the stares—more like daggers—he was receiving from teenage boys. No matter how much he teased her, Kairi herself was very attractive, and now, she was supposedly his. The thought made him tremble.

Kairi's indigo eyes then wandered outside. Behind the hotel was a large and oddly shaped pool with juice bars, massage tables, tennis courts, and basketball courts all around. The only thing currently available for use was one of the basketball courts, so Kairi ran towards it with their hands still interlaced, causing them to receive strange looks from many tourists.

"Basketball?" Sora asked tauntingly when they arrived. "Are you sure, Kairi? You're facing Destiny Academy's senior and varsity basketball captain here."

Kairi began taking off her shirt, leaving her only in a hot pink sports tank that revealed her electric blue sports bra from the back and black volleyball shorts. Sora pretended not to look, but he had already seen too much. He had seen her body develop over the years and had seen her in much worse at the beach, but he just couldn't help it. Kairi was a fit young adult now. That meant that, after many years of keyblade training, her curves, breasts, arms, and creamy legs were all well developed and toned for her age.

Sora was distracted from his thoughts when a basketball hit him right in the gut.

"Um, _ow_?" he screeched.

"Bring it on, Captain," Kairi taunted. Sora smirked and performed a perfect lay up while dodging Kairi's thrashing arms with his free arm. Kairi then frowned and crossed her arms childishly.

"Aww, you cutie," Sora teased, patting her head.

"No, gimme the ball!" Kairi demanded, refusing to lose. Sora held her in place by keeping his hand on her head, keeping her in place as she tried to run in his direction. Compared to Sora's muscular (but certainly not _too _muscular) body, Kairi was tiny.

The redhead, whose eyes drifted onto Sora's lower half, spotted his well-known tickle spot –his hip. She smirked and jabbed a finger at said tickle spot, causing the brunet to gasp and drop the ball. Kairi took this opportunity to grab the ball, run to the other side, and score.

"It may just be me, but I'm pretty sure tickling is _illegal_," Sora said as he recovered from the jab.

"Your face is illegal!" came Kairi's pathetic comeback.

Sora crossed his arms with a sick smile. "Kairi, if I wanted my own comeback, I would've wiped it off your mother's chin."

The redhead slapped her forehead. "I'm just going to forget that I heard that."

Sora chuckled and outstretched one of his hands. "Okay, let's keep playing."

Kairi hugged the ball defensively. "Take it from me then."

Sora flailed his arms around sarcastically. "Oh, because that's going to be _so hard_!"

"Bring it then!"

"Girl, it's been brought, and it's been brought with a side of sizzle," said Sora, placing a finger on one of his butt cheeks. "_Tsss_!" he hissed.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "You are so-"

Sora suddenly began charging at her, causing her eyes to widen. She tried to run, but the instant her back was turned to him, he lifted her off the ground and spun her around in attempts to get her away from the ball.

"Sora!" she screamed in mid-air. It was terrifying at first, but the pleasant surprise made her laugh. Sora, who found the situation as equally entertaining, laughed as well.

"Well, well, well."

Sora immediately put Kairi down. That deep, alluring voice was way too familiar.

"Sora, I didn't know you and Kairi were still dating."

"Riku," breathed Sora.

Kairi stiffened.

_Something from your past will return, _said her fortune, and that something wasn't her relationship with Sora, but Riku.

Riku Masamune was something of a legend back on Destiny Islands. He had the total package: brains, looks, talent, munny. He was always physically and mentally advanced for his age, but he was modest, thus allowing him to be blessed with the skill to call upon the keyblade. His master Terra, a close friend of Aqua and Ventus, taught him everything on the same training grounds as Sora and Kairi, but Riku got carried away.

Sora and Riku, since childhood, had always been competitive –from races, to wooden sword fights, to video games, to girls. However, there was one girl that they both wanted simultaneously, but Sora had won her over. Around this time, Riku suddenly grew hungry for power, so he and his master left Destiny Islands and moved to Twilight Town where Riku was taught how to harness the power of darkness that clouded his heart, much like others who became selfish with the use of their keyblade.

While being taught at the well-established dojo, Riku was also offered a scholarship for post-secondary education, leaving him no choice but to leave the island he once called home. The trio still kept in contact, but their conversations became less frequent as the months went by.

"So when did you two get back together?" Riku asked, leaning against the pole of the basketball net. Kairi couldn't help but notice that his black wife beater did well to show off his muscular arms and chest. "Last time I heard, you two broke up two months after I left."

"Hi, Riku," Kairi greeted civilly and politely as if teaching him a lesson.

"Kairi, it's a pleasure to see you again," Riku acknowledged. "I didn't think it was possible for you to get even more beautiful, but I stand corrected."

Sora cleared his throat and subconsciously gripped the basketball tighter. "So, Riku, what brings you here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," said the albino haired boy, aquamarine eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Sora and Kairi looked at each other as if they were having their own telepathic conversation. Upon mutual agreement, they agreed that he deserved to know the truth after hurting him in the past.

"We're here for _Survival of the Cutest_," Sora admitted.

"So you're still in a relationship? Selphie told me otherwise," said Riku.

Kairi sighed. Curse Selphie for being smitten with Riku and telling him everything.

"We're not dating," Kairi confessed. "We're only pretending so that we can get money for Sora's university tuition."

Riku chuckled, something Kairi found oddly attractive due to its tone. "Funny, I'm here for the same reason."

"Aw, you have a girlfriend, Riku?" Kairi asked excitedly.

Riku smiled. "Sure do."

"I'm happy for you," said the redhead. She genuinely was.

Sora scratched the back of his head. "Not to be nosy, but isn't your family well off, Riku? Why do you need help paying for your second year university tuition?"

"I can't rely on their money forever. I do need an opportunity to grow independently," said Riku.

"That's very mature of you," Kairi admired.

Sora inwardly sighed. This was the first time they had seen Riku since he ran away, and already he could see that the older boy's feelings for Kairi were resurfacing. But what got him was that this time round, Riku was bigger, better, and, according to Kairi, more mature.

The brunet clenched his fist.

He didn't stand a chance.

"Well my girlfriend is probably looking for me," Riku said while rubbing the back of his head. "In regards to the competition, good luck to you both. Make sure you enjoy Twilight Town before it starts, though. I highly recommend trying our famous delicacy, sea salt ice cream, and eating it on the clock tower. The view is amazing."

"Thanks Riku, we'll take that into consideration," Sora said through gritted teeth. Even a blind person could see that he was no longer fond of his best male friend.

"It was nice seeing you two again," said Riku, but Sora could see that he directed this comment more towards Kairi.

"Bye," Kairi waved. Riku waved once more before running into the hotel lobby. "At first I thought he was still bitter," Kairi wholeheartedly admitted, "But I actually think he's okay now, don't you think so?"

"Yeah," Sora lied, narrowing his eyes at Riku's retreating figure. "He is."

When the fake couple returned to their hotel room that afternoon, Sora forcefully slammed the door behind him when he entered the bedroom that he shared with his brother. A startled Roxas awoke from his nap, and as he rubbed his eyes, he groggily asked Sora if something was wrong.

"Yes," Sora answered, his bangs hovering over his eyes. "Guess who's also competing this season?"

All signs of fatigue on Roxas' face disappeared in a heartbeat and were immediately replaced with surprise and disbelief. "Seriously? Do you know what this means?"

"Yeah," Sora growled. "Trouble."

**tbc**

* * *

Hooray for quick update! I actually had this chapter already lined up, lol, although my dusty little documents have left me with very little information on Riku's character development. I hope I can work around that well. Once again, I only changed some of the sentence structures in this chapter, so you're witnessing 95% of past Kyorii here. According to my computer, the last time I worked on this fic was June 14, 2013, 2:03PM.

Lol so I saw that some of you were surprised to find keyblade training in the previous chapter. To be wholeheartedly honest, I thought it would be a nice twist in an AU. I simply felt like I needed to retain more of the game in my fics, and let's face it: it makes the story more badass. Also, I went to the Disney store today with my friend so that she could get the DVD release of _Frozen_, and there was a freaking keyblade encased in glass behind the cashier guy. I asked him what it was for confirmation, and he legit said it was a huge key that they use to open the store every morning. I started crying. NO SHAME.

So, this chapter isn't very long, but I believe the next one is (I also have it lined up, but it's incomplete, so it'll take a bit more time to finish). I assume that my previous intentions for this chapter were to show the audience some insight on Sora and Kairi's relationship, along with an introduction of _le drama_. The writing still has this Teenage Wasteland feel to it, but I certainly hope that the writing in the later chapters will have less of that and more of Kyorii now. The concept will forever be as crazy and unrealistic as TW, but the writing could use a step up. Let's hope I can pull this off, guys!

Thank you to those who have put this story on alert, and to those who have already favourited it! That is some strong faith right thur, guys. Thank you. I'll do my best to make this story a worthwhile hot mess.

Special thanks to: **OmegaPrince, KittyKat1217, thelonesomeartist, Flying By Wire, Sin's Punishment, nick00712, the V-blade, Nightwing2593,** and **Gohan Roxas** for reviewing the last chapter! I'm sorry if I missed or misspelled any names.

Please kindly leave a review to give me an insight on your thoughts and/or feels, I'm sorry for any grammatical errors that I might have missed, and thank you so much for reading!

**Kyorii**


	3. A Pure Heart

"Mom, what are we doing here?" asked a fourteen-year-old Sora. His mother, Roxas, himself, Kairi, and Kairi's grandmother were all headed towards the same destination –the mansion on the highest hill of Destiny Islands. The three teenagers heard that it belonged to the three keyblade masters that ended the great Keyblade War some time ago, but they ceased to believe such people could exist until their older friend Riku summoned a keyblade right before their eyes out of thin air last year.

"You'll see," replied Sora's mother, Aerith, with a smile.

The mansion was large and appeared as if its edges were floating. It looked royal, strong, and promising with its beige bricks and golden rooftops, and the vast array of flowers surrounding the home in a circular fashion were healthy, vibrant, and beautiful as they basked in the orange light of the sunset. Many called this mystical place the Land of Departure.

The entrance door was large, grand, and intimidating. A maid immediately opened the door upon their arrival, and the masters of the house were already standing inside as if they had been expecting them.

The lobby was spacious and breathtaking. Its marble floors were well crafted, and its walls were filled with stained glass windows that illustrated the heroic adventures of past keyblade bearers. The three teenagers had never seen something so magnificent. Not even the mayor's house, where Kairi lived, was as grand as this.

Three masters stood in the center. One was a tall male. He was muscular, slightly tanned, brown-haired, and had broad shoulders. He looked as if he was in his late twenties. Next to him was a beautiful woman with short, stylish blue hair. She looked just as old as the first male. The last was a young man that strangely looked like an older version of Roxas. He was clearly younger than the other two masters, but not by much –maybe three years or so.

These were the three keyblade masters they had heard about. They could tell by their controlled demeanor and foreign, yet stylish armour.

"Is it true?" the woman asked. The question was directed towards Kairi's grandmother.

"I sense something within them," said the elder.

"And your senses are never wrong," the broad shouldered man complimented.

"What is going on?" Sora asked, clearly confused. The older Roxas look-alike smiled at him. His smile resembled Sora's.

"Can we meet them?" the blue-haired woman asked. Sora, Roxas, and Kairi were then pushed forward by Aerith. The female master smiled. "Hi. My name is Aqua. This is Terra," she gestured toward the muscular man, then the younger one. "And that's Ventus."

"H-hello," Kairi greeted. Roxas nodded awkwardly as a sign of acknowledgement.

"Hi, I'm Sora," the brunet greeted confidently. The one named Ventus immediately walked up to him first and took his hand with closed eyes. Sora immediately turned red in embarrassment. When the young man opened his eyes, he looked at Sora as if he had seen something magical. He looked at Roxas and Kairi the same way.

"So it's true," he said, smiling widely.

"What's true?" Roxas asked.

"Hold out your hands," Aqua commanded gently. The three immediately did so. "Close your eyes." They obeyed. "Think of the people you hold dearest." Sora opened one eye to check on Kairi who still had both her eyes closed beside him. His lips curved upward before closing his right eye once again. This gesture did not go by unnoticed by Ventus and Aqua.

"Good. Now focus. Look deep inside your heart," said Aqua.

"Um, won't I just see veins and arteries?" asked a practical, close-eyed Roxas.

Ventus chuckled. "No. Just focus." The three did, and after a few seconds of complete and utter silence, three blades in the shape of keys appeared in their hands in a flash of twinkling lights. The adults in the room applauded with excited and proud smiles.

"Whoa!" Sora screamed, dropping the blade. Luckily, Terra had cast a gust of wind in his direction with his own blade, thrusting the key back into Sora's arms.

"I-it's a keyblade," Kairi noticed, admiring her golden keyblade adorned with colourful flowers. "Just like Riku."

"But why?" Roxas asked, mesmerized by the power that he held in his hands.

"The keyblade only answers to those with pure, loving, modest, strong-willed hearts," Terra answered. "It is a key that can unlock the power of all four elements, and more, if you are able to control it."

"I'm the Avatar," said Roxas, wide-eyed.

Ventus chuckled and approached them with a genuine smile. He leaned down to level with them, although he wasn't much taller.

"You three have something very special within you," he said, his eyes glistening softly. "You carry power that not many people are blessed with. But beware –only use this power to protect your loved ones and to improve your skills. Do not summon it for power or to threaten others, or you will start to fall into darkness. That is how the great Keyblade War began, but thankfully that is behind us now."

"But who will train us?" Kairi asked.

Aqua placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will train you."

"Looks like the twins are mine!" said Ventus, wrapping his arms around them both.

"And I will train your friend Riku," said Terra.

"So if we're not using it for self-defense or training, where else can we use it?" Kairi asked curiously.

"In competitions," Ventus replied excitedly. "There are more of us than you think around the galaxy. Think of the keyblade as not only an art, but also a sport. We participate in many tournaments. Other than self-defense and military purposes, that is the only place the government deems them legal for use."

"But let's not get ahead of ourselves," Aqua suggested with a laugh. "We still need to teach you discipline and control, so until then, do not summon them, okay?"

"But what if we get locked out of our house?" Sora joked.

Ventus laughed and pulled the boy closer to him. "I like this boy, I really do."

* * *

**Chapter 3  
A Pure Heart **

* * *

It had been three days since the encounter with Riku, and Kairi could already see that Sora was negatively affected by it. It was the minor details—like the lack of the spring in his step, the lower pitch of his voice, the duller shade of his eyes—that only Kairi could notice that gave it away.

"Sora," said Kairi, her voice an odd mixture of concern and impatience. She took the seat next to him on the pillows placed on the floor in front of a circular fireplace located at the back of the hotel. It was actually illegal to be on backyard grounds after 11 PM, but Sora and Kairi believed in a little teenage rebellion every now and then.

"Hey," he greeted, examining his keyblade in the firelight. Kairi stumbled backward.

"What are you doing with that here?" she asked fretfully. "There could be surveillance cameras-"

"Calm down," Sora advised in a nonchalant manner. "I'm angled so that they can't see it."

"Wouldn't that just look awkward from that angle then?" Kairi teased.

Sora closed his eyes tightly. "Augh, really? You had to think of that? Gross."

"Just trying to lighten up the mood," Kairi giggled.

Sora looked at her and gave her a sad smile, the dullness of his eyes now making themselves evident. "Well, please keep trying." To further emphasize his desperation, he slowly brought forward his keyblade as if he were ashamed.

Kairi covered her mouth in shock. "Sora…"

Sora's kingdom key, which was normally silver at the tip, was now beginning to turn black. Kairi knew what this meant, and she really wished she didn't. She had seen the same thing happen to Riku before he left. When a bearer's keyblade began to turn black, it was a sign that they were falling into darkness. It was one of the first things that Ventus and Aqua taught them. Luckily, it was reversible, but some were too far gone to revert, like Riku.

"You're stressing too much about this Riku thing," Kairi said, reciprocating his sad smile. "You shouldn't. I know you're hesitant to face him and I know it's hard to stop worrying about him since we were all really close, but you can't let his darkness spread onto you."

"I know," Sora whispered. "He just meant a lot, and it was the first time we've seen him since he left. He seems so different, and it kind of hurts to see him that way."

"Don't lose hope now, Sora," Kairi advised with a genuine smile. "I know you, and you're not normally like this. Have the heart to see that he can still be the same Riku you once knew. Just because he harnesses the power of darkness doesn't mean that he's necessarily a bad guy." Kairi placed her hand overtop his for comfort. "And we'll change your keyblade back."

"How?" Sora asked, eyes glistening.

"The only way there is," said Kairi. "With a kind and pure heart. I'm going to take you to the beach tomorrow, and we're going to have a fun day like we always do."

The sadness in Sora's smile washed away as he squeezed Kairi's hand. "I love you."

Kairi's heart felt as if someone had just squeezed it. She felt as if that comment would have affected her more if they weren't pretending to date. But she responded accordingly and honestly, as per usual.

"I love you too."

* * *

Twilight Town was known for many things.

First, its renowned sea-salt ice cream that first gave a salty impression, then a miraculously sweet one afterward.

Second, for being the most welcoming world in the galaxy. With its convivial civilians, sandy beaches, countless shops, and gorgeous scenery, it became a sunset-painted town with a peaceful feel that stole the hearts of many.

Third, _Survival of the Cutest_.

Fourth, cutting edge technology and fashion.

And fifth, their beaches. Destiny Islands may have had the whitest sands and bluest waters, but no beach could compare to that of Twilight Town. Apart from their equally white sands and crystal clear waters, the beaches in Twilight Town had countless shops lined up along the boardwalk that sold the latest fashion trends and finest foods. Modern buildings and beach houses that architects had spent years designing were located near the shore, providing countless ways of entertainment and a wonderful view for residents (teenagers and young adults especially, since their population dominated the town). And last but not least, far away in the deep blue sea, coral reefs and marine life were available for discovery and exploration.

"Ahh," Kairi yawned, stretching her arms and legs in the process. Sora couldn't help but notice her breasts sticking out as she did this. They were _right there_ under her bikini top. "There's nothing like a good day on the beach."

A football suddenly came whizzing towards poor, defenseless Naminé. Luckily, her boyfriend had the reflexes to catch it when it was a meter away from her face.

"Oh yeah," the blond haired young man said sarcastically. "How fun it must be to be on a beach filled with rotten rich kids." He then chucked the football back at the cocky boy who threw it, the excessive force causing the boy to fall backward when the ball hit him square in the chest. "You two go have fun now. Naminé and I will be at the boardwalk, where it's _safer_, and meet you somewhere later, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Kairi agreed. Naminé wasn't one for beach activities, anyway. Back home she would just sit under a paopu tree and sketch while the rest of them swam and played volleyball.

"See you later then," Roxas confirmed, waving farewell to the fake couple.

"So, where to?" Sora asked, snaking his arms around his fake girlfriend's waist from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. Kairi tried to pay no mind to the gesture although she knew that he knew it was one of her favourite gestures. It felt just like old times.

Kairi, desperately trying to transfer her attention elsewhere, found a volleyball court at the center of the beach with bleachers set all around it. She smirked excitedly.

"There," she said, pointing at the court.

"Hmm," Sora hummed, the vibrations of his deep voice sending shivers down Kairi's spine. "Are you sure? I don't want to make anyone cry."

Kairi chuckled, putting her hands overtop his on her toned belly. "I think they'll manage."

Half an hour later, Sora and Kairi found themselves on the court facing two handsome—albeit cocky—looking rich kids. They looked about two years older, if not a few years more. Sora and Kairi had been observing them from the sidelines and, from the looks of it, they were all right. To the eyes of everyone cheering on the bleachers, they were amazing, but in the eyes of a Destiny Islander, they were just all right.

"They spike hard," Sora whispered when they entered the court. He could feel all eyes on them; they were newcomers, after all. "So try not to hit it so high over the net."

"They also hesitate a bit when they back peddle," Kairi informed, "so hit it to the back a lot."

"Hey," the blond-haired man on the other side of the court greeted with a smirk that Sora immediately wanted to smack off his face. He knew that smirk. He was checking out Kairi, which, in fairness, was a hard thing to _not_ do. With a baby blue bikini halter-top and matching water skirt, she was practically irresistible.

The thoughts he had when she had that thing on were not pure at all. His keyblade was going to turn black in a heartbeat.

"Hi," Sora greeted through gritted teeth.

"I'm Snow," the smirking man introduced, his fingers brushing the stubble on his chin. "And that's Noel," he said, referring to his equally attractive brunet friend positioned in the back. Both were quite muscular in stature and looked intimidating upon first glance.

But the fake couple knew better.

"Sora," he then introduced. He then gestured towards his so-called 'girlfriend' in the back. "And that's Kairi."

"Kairi, huh?" Snow asked with a dirty grin on his face. It wasn't really a question. He then began waving at her, to which Kairi waved back awkwardly. "Don't worry, we'll go easy on you honey!" he hollered.

"Oh, thanks!" Kairi responded, sounding as innocent as possible. Sora almost laughed. These chumps didn't know who they were dealing with.

"So what are the rules?" Sora asked for clarification. Things might have worked differently in Twilight Town.

"Other than the boundaries, there are none," Snow responded with an eager grin. Sora tried not to show his excitement. "I don't think I've seen you around here before," Snow then observed. "You new?"

"We're visiting from Destiny Islands," Sora replied.

"Oh ho!" Snow suddenly looked excited. "Noel, we got a couple of Destiny Islanders over here!" After Noel offered a pathetically stereotypical "Aloha", Snow smirked. "This should be one interesting match then."

Sora mirrored his smirk. "Yes, it should."

For the first few minutes, Sora and Kairi played languidly, letting the boys have their moment of glory. Crushing them from the beginning in their territory would have been rude. They would have to ease it in with an excuse, and when Snow and Noel checked out Kairi's ass when she was picking up the ball, Sora found it.

"Kairi, play time's over," Sora growled. He desperately wanted to summon his keyblade right then and there and burn the guys who licked their lips suggestively at his best friend, but unfortunately, it was illegal.

"Sora?" Kairi asked, waving a hand in front of his face. "You good?"

"Oh," said Sora. He hadn't realized that his mind had wandered off with some vulgar (although admittedly satisfying) thoughts. "Yeah, sorry."

When the game resumed, Sora spiked the ball at Snow's head the instant he got the chance.

"Sora!" Kairi scolded.

"What?" Sora asked with fake innocence, not bothering to apologize to the boy who looked as if he was concussed.

"That is not appropriate," she said. When the time came, she spiked the ball towards Noel's private area, causing the boy to fall over and cry in pain. "_That _is appropriate."

"I love you," Sora said dreamily.

"I love you too baby."

Fifteen minutes later, Sora and Kairi had the poor boys eating sand off the floor. One could tell by their movements that they were clearly not from Twilight Town. Destiny Islanders played with a little more verve and moved with a tad more grace and discipline, whereas the two boys just played with power and power alone.

"This is embarrassing." Snow cussed under his breath. "We're getting slaughtered by a girl who weighs like half our weight and a guy who won't wipe that stupid smirk off his face."

"Let it go, man," Noel advised as he got up. "They're one point down from winning. We should know when we're beaten. Let's not be sore losers about it. You'll embarrass your girlfriend. What matters is that we had f-"

"Fun?" Snow finished incredulously. "You think getting our asses kicked in front of our people is _fun_?"

"I'm just saying it's better to appreciate and respect their talents than-"

"Oh, whatever!" Snow grunted, throwing sand at his partners knees.

"This is priceless," Sora chuckled from the other side.

"You don't think we're being too mean, do you?" Kairi asked innocently as she approached Sora to pick up the ball.

"Psh, no! That guy was checking out my girlfriend. He deserves hell." Kairi blushed at Sora's adorable protectiveness. She blushed even more when he tried to hug her.

"Ew, no!" she said, pushing him away while laughing. "You're all sweaty!" _Sweaty and not my actual boyfriend,_ she then thought bitterly, but smiled afterward. At least it looked like he was having fun.

"Shall we finish off this match then?" Sora asked, smiling wide.

"We shall," Kairi replied epically.

When Noel volleyed the ball to the center, it was as if he _wanted_ them to pull an epic finale. Sora then winked at Kairi briefly before weaving his hands together in front of him. As his best friend and fellow teammate for many years, she knew what this meant. She took a deep breath, ran towards him, jumped to place a foot on his hands so that he could throw her upward, and tumbled in the air before "kick-spiking" the ball towards the back corner of the opposite court. Noel and Snow couldn't get it, of course, since it looked as if a trail of fire was following the volleyball.

Since they were taught and born with good sportsmanship, Sora and Kairi shook the hands of their opponents (well, Noel. Snow was too embarrassed to even look them in the eye) and thanked the crowd that cheered for them. Sora, overcome with excitement, picked up Kairi and spun her around. He was having a grand time, and it wasn't just because they won. It was because they had won _together_, and he felt as if it was just him and Kairi again, back home and having fun on the beach.

When Kairi's feet touched the ground, he kissed her cheek, causing her face to turn as red as her hair and the crowd to sigh lovingly.

Kairi held her moist cheek in shock. "S-Sora-"

"Excuse me," said a male voice from behind them.

"Can we help you?" Sora asked, facing the familiar-looking stranger. He had spiky dirty blond hair, brown eyes, a baby face, and a lanky but muscular build. His hand was laced with a pretty girl whose brown hair was carefully arranged into two perfect braids.

"I'm Hayner, and this is my girlfriend Olette," the boy introduced. Both looked around their age, if not younger, perhaps.

"Sora, and this is Kairi," Sora introduced. It seemed only fair to give them their names in return.

"We don't mean to sound creepy but, are you two contestants on _Survival of the Cutest_?" Olette asked.

"Um, yes," Sora replied, lacing his hands with Kairi. They might have been fans of the show, so it was a good idea to get on their good side. A single vote could have made a huge difference. "How did you know?"

"We've seen you walking around our floor at the hotel sometimes," the boy named Hayner answered.

Kairi's lips curved into an excited smile. "So you're contestants too!"

"We are!" Olette responded with equal excitement. "It's so nice to finally meet another couple that doesn't look like they want to rip your head off."

"Same here," Kairi replied with a laugh. The other couples she had seen came across as serious and angry.

"Well, sorry for bothering you," Olette said sheepishly. "We just wanted to say that you two make a good team and a very cute couple."

The two blushed madly.

Sora, the only one who could find his voice, thanked them.

"Well good luck on the interviews on Friday," said Hayner.

"You too," said Sora.

"After that, no mercy!" Hayner teased, walking away with his girlfriend. Sora chuckled and waved farewell. When they were out of earshot, he looked at the still red Kairi.

"So, they seem nice," he commented.

Kairi nodded. "Mhm." She snapped back to reality when Sora put on a shirt and began sprinting forward. "What are you doing?"

"Hurry, we don't want to lose them!" said Sora. She could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Sora!" Kairi called. It sounded like an accusation.

"What?" he asked shamelessly. "There's no harm in spying on the competition for a bit."

"There's something wrong with _stalking_," Kairi reminded.

"But this is for purely educational purposes!" Sora fought. Kairi, who was just as curious, threw on a shirt and began sprinting as well.

* * *

"They don't seem to be like much of a threat," Sora concluded. He and Kairi were currently hiding at the edge of an alleyway and watched as Hayner tried to win a stuffed chocobo for his girlfriend at the boardwalk, emphasis on_ tried_. The poor boy had been hammering down on a hunk of metal for about five minutes now, only for the strength bar to light up only mid-way.

The fake couple watched as Olette took the hammer from Hayner and explained something to him.

"This metal is made out of adamantite," she informed. "It's more sensitive in the middle, so you should aim for the center, like this." The small girl then slammed the hammer down in the center, causing the strength bar to light up all the way.

"Winner!" exclaimed the vender, handing the chocobo plush to the lucky lady.

"The girl is smart," Sora observed. "We should watch out for her."

"Aww," Kairi sighed lovingly as Hayner pecked his girlfriend on the cheek. The look he gave her was one of pure admiration. "He loves her. I can tell."

"They're going into a tea shop!" Sora suddenly exclaimed. He dragged Kairi out of the alleyway and began sprinting through the large amounts of people. When he noticed that Kairi was going too slow, he picked her up and began giving her a piggyback ride.

"Sora!" Kairi screamed, although her giggles broke through. "Put me down! People are staring!"

"Shh, we're almost there!" he said, an excited smile on his face. When they arrived, he put her down in front of the door and opened it while bowing.

"Thank you, kind sir," said Kairi, curtsying in response.

"Well walk in," Sora demanded after five seconds had passed. He remained frozen in his bowing position.

"Ladies first," teased Kairi.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Ha ha. " He shoved her inside and asked the host for a table for two. He offered him one by the window, but Sora declined. He searched the restaurant for Olette and Hayner and found them being seated at a booth all the way on the right side. Sora bit his lip. All the seats surrounding them were full.

All hope was lost until he saw a familiar tuft of spiky blond hair sticking out from the booth behind Olette and Hayner.

"We're actually meeting someone, thanks," said Sora, gently brushing past the host and walking towards the table behind the enemy.

"Hey hey!" Sora greeted, hip checking his brother to the side of the booth so that he could fit. Kairi politely took the seat next to Naminé.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked, irritated that he was just shoved against the wall.

"Spying on the enemy," Sora whispered discreetly. He gestured towards the booth behind them. Roxas stood up to emit a fake yawn and looked at the couple from the corner of his eye. They were shoulder to shoulder, looking at the menu together.

"Oh man," Roxas said when he sat back down. "They're cute."

Kairi sighed lovingly. "You should see the way the guy looks at his girlfriend. It's adorable."

Naminé gasped. "Did he have that sparkle in his eyes?"

Sora placed his hands over Naminé's delicate ones. "Girl, they were _glistening_."

"Don't listen to Sora," Kairi advised. "He's just jealous."

"Of what?" Sora asked, demanding an answer. "I've been rehearsing all week! I got this in the bag."

"But you don't have the sparkle," Naminé reminded with a teasing smile.

"Oh please, I got this." Sora cleared his throat and shut his eyes. After a few minutes of pure concentration, Sora opened his eyes and pulled off a pathetic pout with pained eyes.

"We should just pack our bags," Kairi teased. Suddenly, Roxas punched his brother in the private area, causing Sora to squeal and bite his lip in pain. The brim of his eyes began to water.

"And that, ladies, is how you get a sparkle in a guy's eyes."

* * *

"A psychic?" Roxas asked when the group stopped in front of an ominous and mystical looking shop coated in numerous shades of blue, orange, and purple.

"Why not?" Kairi asked, her adventurous attitude shining through. "It seems interesting and I've never tried it before!"

"Ah, the motto of all teenagers," Sora commented.

"Come on," said Kairi, dragging Sora inside. Naminé trailed not too far behind them.

"What, Naminé? You're gonna go?" Roxas asked incredulously.

"Why not?" she asked, a curious and shameless grin on her face.

"Because it's a waste of munny," Roxas muttered when he walked inside.

A young redheaded assistant with curly pigtails brought them to the waiting area, which was just as mystical as the outside. The four took their seats on the pillows on the floor and made themselves comfortable.

"This is stupid," Roxas whispered under his breath. "All you're going to get is some made up bullshit from a battery powered glass ball."

"So we can summon magical keyblades from thin air, but suddenly it's impossible to predict the future?" Sora asked.

"Touché," Roxas admitted, taking his seat on one of the pillows.

Minutes passed, and Naminé was summoned first. She returned five minutes later with a satisfied grin on her face.

"Well?" Sora asked with raised, curious eyebrows. "How did it go?"

"It was pretty cool," Naminé answered. "Just by reading my palm, she was able to predict many things about me, but I've studied zodiacs before and I think she based most of her findings on them; however, she was able to predict my love life with great accuracy."

"Oh really?" Roxas asked with crossed arms. "What crap did she spew out this time? That you're bound to end up with some beret wearing vegan beatnik that _isn't_ me?"

Naminé suppressed a giggle. "Actually, she was spot on. She told me that the love of my life was a handsome, intelligent, and passionate blond-haired boy with blue eyes, and that she could sense strong energies coming from him next door."

Roxas coughed into his fist and threw an arm over his girlfriend. "So maybe she's a teeny tiny bit right. Just a bit."

Kairi then stood up from where she sat and asked Sora if he wanted to try.

"No thanks, I'll pass," he said as he placed his hands behind his head. "I'd like to discover my own fate myself. You know how much I hate spoilers."

"All right," Kairi sang as she waltzed past the curtain of beads and into the psychic's room next door. Inside was a room surrounded by carpets, curtains, and lanterns all imported from various worlds. Crescent moons and suns appeared to be recurring symbols, and a white crystal ball sat on a circular table in the middle just waiting—no, daring—to be read, but she and Naminé had unfortunately paid for a palm reading only. A tan woman no older than thirty with tousled dark hair walked into the room wearing a fashionable blue sari, and she spoke with a heavy but understandable Pulsian accent.

"I've been expecting you," she said.

"M-me?" Kairi stammered. "You knew I was coming?"

"Oh, no, not you," said the psychic. She pointed at something behind the confused Kairi. The redheaded secretary outside walked through the curtain of beads with a bag of food in hand.

"Thank you, Vanille," the psychic said gratefully, and the secretary skipped back outside. As the psychic placed her food on a separate table, she turned her attention back to her client.

"Sorry about that, sunshine. My name is Oerba Yun Fang. You may refer to me as such. Why don't you take a seat?" she offered. She sat on one side of the glass ball at precisely the same time Kairi took her seat on the other side.

"Okay," Fang said after a deep breath. "Hold out both your hands and close them, and say your full name and date of birth out loud."

"Um, Kairi Emori Lovelock, December fifteenth," she answered. Now she understood why Naminé was under the impression that zodiacs were taken into consideration.

Fang then took Kairi's left hand and traced her index finger along the tip of Kairi's middle finger.

"Hmm," she hummed, and Kairi grew nervous. "This is interesting. I don't get many clients of your kind. You wield something that can only be accessed through a pure and strong willed heart, don't you?"

Kairi nodded slowly, her eyes wide in shock the psychic's accuracy.

"And you're not the only one here, either," Fang observed. "I'm sensing similar energies from someone in the other room. Am I correct in assuming that?"

Kairi nodded again, impressed.

Fang grinned and resumed her findings. "I can sense that you have a very good natured heart. You enjoy seeing others happy over yourself, and while this is a good and unselfish thing, it may also be your downfall."

Kairi bit her lip and thought of the upcoming events of _Survival of the Cutest_.

"I also see a hard worker, a creative mind, and an adventurer," Fang continued. "Because of this, your career will be one that will involve a lot of travelling, and I see you succeeding in whichever profession you choose."

Kairi blinked twice in astonishment. In a month, she would be studying to become a travel journalist in Radiant Garden, so Fang was spot on in that respect. She had always wanted to explore the lands beyond her home.

"You have a very close family, although I'm sensing some tension and negative energies in that department right now," said Fang.

The redhead merely sighed. Although her foster parents were caring people who were proud of her accomplishments and supported her every decision, they did not support her running off to Twilight Town with her ex-boyfriend to compete in a pretentious and dangerous television show. After fighting back with a few choice words of her own, she boarded the plane and flew off to the land of chaos and drama.

"Now, in regards to your love life, I'm sensing some uncertainty," Fang observed. "You fear the past, but you're consistently living in it, now more than ever. I suggest second chances, which you may be hesitant towards at first, but the future it promises is something you won't regret."

Kairi nodded and the hopeless romantic within her leaned closer, eager to hear more.

"I'm sensing bright and optimistic vibes from your soul mate. He's very passionate, very powerful, but very impulsive. He is a good man with a kind heart, much like yourself, but he must understand that where there is light, there is always a shadow. He is also one of your kind," said Fang. Her expression then became one of shock and excitement. "In fact, I'm sensing very strong energies coming from him right now. He is _extremely_ close by."

Kairi leaned back in her chair and sighed. She had heard enough from Fang to conclude that she was undoubtedly talking about Sora.

Sora.

The one she had loved, and the one she still loved. The one who had disappointed her before, and the one that would disappoint her again.

Was that what her future promised? A future where they would live with their problems unresolved like before?

"Don't despair, sunshine," Fang advised with a reassuring hand overtop hers. "Everything will turn out the way it's supposed to, and I do see happiness in your future. Just remember that sometimes, making the wrong decisions will bring you to the right places."

Kairi nodded with a small smile, thanked the psychic, and left the room wordlessly. Sora was the first to notice her change in demeanor.

"Hey, how'd it go? Did she say something strange? You do know that most of it isn't actually true, right?" Sora reminded. "Unless she pointed out that your best friend is some devilishly handsome sex god, of course. That we cannot disagree with."

Kairi chuckled lightly. "No, everything went fine. She just-"Kairi's indigo eyes suddenly widened when they drifted onto something behind Sora. Clearly confused, the brunet turned around and looked out the window behind him.

His former best friend was currently passing in front of the shop with a petite girl with a black hood over her head. Although it concealed her identity, their intertwined hands told him enough: this was Riku's 'girlfriend'. She hunched over and appeared to be laughing at something he said, and the silver-haired Adonis merely smirked in response. With his blood boiling, Sora then turned his attention back to Kairi, who had released a gasp a few seconds ago.

_He is extremely close by,_ the psychic had said.

_He is one of your kind,_ she said.

_He must understand that where there is light, there is always a shadow._

And there was no better person who understood that than Riku.

Kairi gulped.

She may have misinterpreted something earlier.

**tbc**

* * *

This must be some sort of miracle. Another early update? I'm on a roll!

Kidding. I had around 4/5ths of this chapter lined up. It was originally supposed to be much longer, but this portion already exceeded the past chapters by over 1000 words. I'll save the rest for another time. I thought this was a good place to cut it.

By the way, LOL to the amount of you who thought Roxas and Naminé were actually going to do it in the last chapter. I've been out of the business for far too long.

So, a few things to say about this chapter. First, apart from the volleyball scene, my favourite moment may have been when Sora sneaked a peek at Kairi when Aqua told them to think of the people they hold dearest. Dat childhood crush doe. It's the first time I've ever written a flashback like that, and I was originally going to delete it, but I reread it again and deemed it necessary! Also, if you've watched ATLA, you'll notice remnants of Azula's competitiveness from the Ember Island episode in Sora and Kairi when they were about to face Noel and Snow for an 'innocent game of volleyball'. Despite her craziness, I actually really love Azula. Best villain ever, and let's face it guys: she was hot. No pun intended.

Also, when I wrote this chapter a year ago, the psychic part was left incomplete. I had never gotten my palm read before, and I was going to write it without any experience whatsoever. However, I was in luck, because I actually went out to get my palm read during this exhibition I attended for the sake of this fanfic lol. For the most part, it was predictable because, like Naminé said, the lady based most of her findings on my zodiac, but some things were scarily accurate. In regards to my future family, I'm supposed to have three sons and one daughter? (Cries because there goes my wallet.)

Anyhow, special thanks to: **Flying By Wire, Serenyas, MoonPrincess016, Guest, Nightwing2593, Sin's Punishment, Sachiko Keidi Honoki,** and **The V-Blade** for reviewing the last chapter! I apologize if I misspelled any names. Thank you to those who have also put this story on alert and/or favourited it! I appreciate the support guys! I'm sorry I haven't gotten the chance to reply to any reviews via PM yet. I'll get started on that tomorrow, because I miss that feeling of starting the day with review replying. Depending on my work ethic, the next chapter may or may come a bit later, but stay tuned!

Please kindly leave a review to give me an insight on your thoughts and/or feels, I'm sorry for any grammatical errors that I might have missed, and thank you so much for reading!

**Kyorii**


	4. The Best Policy

After taking a deep breath, Kairi opened her eyes and examined herself closely in the vanity mirror backstage.

She squinted and began fixing the minor imperfections that had always been present whenever she checked a mirror, like the two strands of hair that strayed too far from her bangs. After deeming herself presentable, Kairi felt the air grow very cold and strange. She looked at the corner of the well-lit mirror and froze.

"Riku," she greeted, immediately recognizing his muscular build leaning against the studio wall. The costume designers of the show had already dressed him in his interview clothes, which consisted of a fashionable suit designed specifically for him. Underneath his grey blazer was a black button up shirt and yellow tie, and simple violet pants adorned his legs.

"You look good," Kairi admitted, and the psychic's predictions tormented her brain.

"Not as lovely as you," he complimented, getting off the wall. He approached her with a smile that she couldn't quite place. What she could place, however, was that it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. "You certainly aren't the same girl from two years ago. You're just forever blooming, aren't you, Kairi?"

Kairi began twiddling with hem of her dress. The designers had made her some black strapless number with an exposed back that ended far too high above her knees in her opinion. To preserve some innocence, she requested simple make-up, but it did nothing to hide the seductive playfulness of her bellowing skirt. Her heels were the same shade as her red hair and far too high for Kairi's liking, but she figured that if this is what it took to get votes and a good impression, then so be it. Anything for Sora.

"Thanks," she said, gritting her teeth.

"Listen," Riku started, suddenly sounding exasperated. "I know it was pretty childish and immature of me to walk away from you and Sora a few years back, but I'm different now. I'm more controlled, more mature this time."

"What are you trying to say?" Kairi asked, raising an eyebrow while crossing her arms accusingly.

"That, if you want, I can take care of you. I won't run away from problems like Sora did. Give me a chance, Kairi, please. I can treat you better than he did." Riku gave her a pleading look.

Kairi looked absolutely disgusted. "I don't need anyone to take care of me. And Riku, in case if you've forgotten, you have a girlfriend. Don't tell me your feelings for me have already resurfaced and are suddenly of more importance than the feelings you have for her. It's unfair, and what you feel for me is only infatuation."

He smirked darkly, walking closer to her. "Xion's just a friend. She knows this." He then began playing with a strand of her hair. "And my feelings for you haven't resurfaced. They never disappeared in the first place."

"You know, I thought you'd changed," Kairi said, heartbroken that she was incorrect about him before. "But you've learned nothing from before. Good luck tonight, Riku." And with that, she left to speak with Roxas and Naminé in the audience.

"Naminé, could you help me tie my hair up?" Kairi asked. Within five seconds the blonde was already behind her equipped with hair elastics and bobby pins.

"So, have you seen Riku's girlfriend yet?" Roxas asked. He took his seat in the front row while people filled the studio quickly and eagerly.

"No," Kairi confessed. _But I do feel sorry for her_, she mentally added.

"I met her in the elevator," said Roxas. "She seems really cool."

"Really? Where is she?" Kairi asked as Naminé tugged on her hair. "Ow!"

"Sorry," Naminé apologized with pink cheeks.

"She's over there," said Roxas, tipping the straw on his smoothie in a way that discreetly pointed in her direction.

Kairi followed the straw and saw a slender girl with short, stylish black hair making idle conversation with her make-up artist as she coated her eyes with a generous amount of eyeliner. She wore a yellow peplum dress that matched Riku's tie, and it modestly ended just above her knees. When she opened her eyes, Kairi found her own indigo eyes widening slightly.

She was gorgeous.

Jet-black hair and bright blue eyes was such a unique and striking combination that Kairi wasn't accustomed to. She had a sweet face and a kind smile, just like Sora, and by the way she was laughing with the make-up artist, she seemed to have an easygoing personality as well. Kairi could see herself getting along with her.

"Her name's Xion," Roxas informed. "She's the only other female keyblade bearer here, aside from you."

"I even think she kind of looks like you," said Naminé. "If your hair was black when you were fourteen when you had your hair short, I'd actually be kind of scared." Naminé then backed up and examined her masterpiece. After circling Kairi and nodding, she smiled. "All done. You look fantastic."

Kairi examined herself in her phone mirror and smiled. Naminé had tied her hair into a perfect side ponytail. "Thank you, Naminé."

Before her cousin could respond, a deafening bell rung across the studio, startling everyone within its vicinity. The crew onset immediately quickened their pace and began fixing last minute details.

"You know what that means?" Roxas asked with an excited smile. "It's show time."

* * *

**4  
The Best Policy**

* * *

The first couple up was Olette and Hayner.

For the most part, they played the cards right. They were adorable, just as Kairi had expected, but did nothing to make them stand out. Luckily, the host (some fresh new face named Zidane), was able to make the audience laugh to make up for Hayner's lame COD references.

"Something's not right," Roxas observed when the first couple's time was up. "They barely asked questions from the previous seasons."

"That's because they got a new producer this season," a familiar voice told him from the seat behind him. When Roxas turned to face the source of the voice, he nearly fell out of his seat. "Axel, what are you doing here? _When_ did you get here?"

"What, I'm not going to look out for my little sister while she's on some lethal teen survival show?" the redhead asked plainly. "And my plane arrived about two hours ago, thanks for asking."

"Never mind that," Naminé whispered. "What did you say before?"

After swallowing his mouthful of popcorn, Axel replied. "Oh, right. They got new producers for this season, so the show is gonna go through a major makeover. Better arenas, harder challenges, you name it. As you can see, they even changed the set for this season's interviews."

"_What?_" Roxas whispered harshly. "That means…"

"Everything you taught Sora was for nothing," Naminé finished with a grave expression.

* * *

"This is bad," said Sora, pacing backstage uncontrollably. Although it was a time of distress, Kairi couldn't help but think that he looked adorable regardless.

"Sora, it's going to be okay," Kairi said in attempts to comfort him. "Perhaps they'll ask you a lot of questions that Roxas taught you."

"What if they don't?" Sora whimpered. "You know I'm a terrible liar, Kairi. I wear my heart on my sleeve."

"Then I'll lie for us," Kairi suggested.

"The host will keep directing the questions towards the males to test them," said Sora. He then pulled on his hair and groaned. "We're dead. We're so dead."

"Hey," Kairi said softly. She placed a hand on his hip, and the other in his hair to ruffle it. "Don't worry. We'll be fine, okay? Trust me." Her hand slowly began to move down to his cheek. "You're such an easy person to talk to. Just act casual, and everything will go smoothly. Just pretend we're on the couch in my living room."

Sora closed his eyes and sighed into her palm. His hand made his way from her elbow to her wrist, causing her to shiver inwardly. He held her wrist in place for a while, basking in the silence. When he released his grip, he grazed his lips slightly over her wrist and let her arm fall. His eyes re-opened, and Kairi suddenly found it hard to breath.

He smiled at her. The way the lights from the vanity mirror hit the side of Kairi's face was just perfect. "Have I told you that you look beautiful today?"

Kairi blushed. "No, but it's nice to hear."

"But the dress is kind of…"

"Short, I know," Kairi finished with a nervous chuckle.

"I was going to say sexy and easy to access but…" Sora was cut off by a playful punch on the arm. "Ow! What? If I'm going to be your boyfriend I might as well play the part realistically!"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Thank you for the compliment. You look handsome."

Sora tugged on the lapels of his stylish blazer and nodded firmly. "I know."

Kairi placed a hand on her forehead and sighed dramatically. "Why must I be cursed with this narcissist of a boyfriend?"

"Excuse me," Sora insisted as he pulled her to him by the waist. "But I believe you're dating the _finest_ specimen of man," he whispered into her ear.

Kairi chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, you wish."

"Augh, gross. The cuteness is blinding me. Can someone please gauge my eyes out?" a familiar but friendly voice asked teasingly.

Sora pulled away from the embrace and turned to the source of the voice.

"Tidus!" Kairi exclaimed as Sora ran to give their mutual childhood friend a fist bump followed by a classic bro hug.

"What are you doing all the way here?" Sora asked. "Twilight Town is a long way from Destiny Islands."

"Thank you, Sora, I did not know that," Tidus replied with a sarcastic grin. "I'm gonna give you a minute to take in my fancy attire and dapper appearance."

"So you're obviously here to serve the free food backstage, _duh_," Sora reasoned.

Tidus chuckled and clapped Sora on the back. "Oh, Sora. You and your optimistic demeanor never get old. I'm glad you and Kairi decided to get back together."

Sora and Kairi shared a look, but pressed the matter no further.

"So, uh, Tidus," Sora stammered, "What brings you to _Survival of the Cutest_?"

The air suddenly grew tense, and Sora immediately regretted asking the question.

"Hey, you… don't have to answer," the brunet offered.

"No, it's okay," Tidus said as his blond surfer bangs covered his eyes. "My mom had a recurrence a few weeks ago."

Kairi subtly gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, recalling that Tidus' mother had geostigma a few years back.

"We just can't seem to afford treatment this time round, so Yuna and I are going to try our best to help lower the cost," Tidus explained with clenched fists.

Suddenly, Sora's post-secondary problems became a mere drop in a vast ocean wave of feels. He had the sudden urge to let Tidus win, but the fear of disappointing his parents demanded to be remembered.

"Tidus," he said while placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Good, uh… good luck out there," was all Sora could muster.

Tidus smiled sadly. "Thanks, Sora. You too." He then turned his attention to Kairi. "Take care of him in there, okay?"

"Don't worry," Kairi assured. "I'll make sure he behaves and eats all his vegetables." Sora rolled his eyes.

"Tidus," a feminine voice called. A young woman with short, spiky hair and a braid running down her back revealed herself from the shadows backstage with a nervous expression on her face. Her name was Yuna, and she had been Tidus' girlfriend since junior year.

"Are you ready?" she asked as the host announced their names. Tidus joined hands with her, and Sora and Kairi watched wordlessly as their interview began.

* * *

Tidus and Yuna were couple four out of eight. Surprisingly, Tidus avoided the topic of his mother and the stigma and cracked a few jokes here and there instead. Sora inwardly admired this. Tidus was always the type to be modest, and he didn't want to use his mother as a sob story for votes. Fairness was just in his nature.

The next couple consisted of two people named Leon and Yuffie. For the most part, Sora could tell they were faking it. They seemed more like siblings than a couple. Things weren't looking so well for them until Zidane asked Leon how he asked out his girlfriend.

"Well, I work at Starbucks," Leon began.

Roxas and Sora gulped at the same time.

"He better not steal Sora's answer," Roxas growled.

"And instead of placing her name on her order, I wrote her a note asking to be my girlfriend," he finished. Sora smacked his forehead as the audience cheered.

Roxas snapped his fingers in a Z-formation. "Oh no he did _not_! Naminé, hold my weave girl! Hold my weave!"

"Roxas, honey, please calm down-"Naminé urged as she held him down.

"I will not calm down!" fought Roxas. "Dishonor on _you_," he said, pointing at Leon, "Dishonor on your _cow_, dishonor on-"From behind, Axel covered Roxas' mouth with his own hands.

Riku and Xion were up next. Loud cheers sounded from the audience when they entered, presumably because they were well known in their hometown.

Throughout the interview, Kairi was impressed by how good an actor Riku was. He was charming, a complete gentleman, and was nothing but sweet when he spoke about his girlfriend. He even snuck in a few admirable glances her way, knowing that the cameras would zoom in to catch it.

"So, Riku," Zidane started, making himself more comfortable in his seat. "Would you consider Xion to be the most important girl in your life?"

"Well, no," he answered, his eyes drifting onto Kairi who was behind the curtains across from him. Xion did not seem surprised about this. It made Sora feel bad for her. Roxas had bragged about how nice she seemed, and now the "Great Xion" was deduced to nothing more than an ornament next to Riku.

"Ohh," said Zidane, his voice deep and in unison with the crowd. He frowned. "If not Xion, who is?"

"My mother, of course," Riku lied, earning cheers from the crowd.

"Ha. Gay!" Axel shouted.

"Well, isn't that sweet?" Zidane asked, leaning back in his chair. A loud beep sounded from the speakers. "It seems our time is up. Thank you for your time, Riku and Xion. It was a pleasure interviewing you."

"The pleasure is all ours," said Riku, standing up to shake Zidane's hand once more. Xion did the same. That was another thing about Riku. He referred to him and Xion as one person, which surely scored him points in the caring department.

"Looks like we're up," Kairi whispered when Riku and Xion exited the stage on the opposite side.

Sora inhaled sharply. "Mhm."

* * *

"Ven, Ven! It's their turn!" Aqua squealed from their couch. "Hurry!"

Ventus came running into the living room with a pot of uncooked popcorn. He jumped onto the couch next to Aqua and turned up the volume in their home theatre. As the host introduced the next couple, Ven summoned his keyblade and casted a firaga spell under his pot to cook the popcorn.

"Oh my," Aqua gasped when Sora and Kairi entered the fun and futuristic looking set. Cheers sounded from the audience and, as expected, wolf whistles. "What is Kairi wearing?" Aqua asked, knowing her pupil all too well. Kairi was slightly more modest about her choice of clothing.

"Who cares? She looks hotter that a firaga spell," said Ventus, popping a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

Aqua covered her mouth and chuckled. "And this is why you're not dating."

Back on set, Sora emerged from the right side with Kairi in tow. The sounds of the audience became muffled, and the weight of his blazer increased tenfold. He suddenly found it hard to breath, and he could feel his vision failing as the studio lights above blinded him.

Regret washed over him, and he began to think that perhaps participating on the show wasn't such a good idea. It wasn't the crowd, per se, but the lying. At that moment, he just wanted to be back on Destiny Islands, lying on the white sands with Kairi laughing by his side.

Then, he felt it. The soothing moment, the return to reality, Kairi's hand laced with his. Air rushed back into his lungs, and his senses were back on point. He squeezed back gratefully, and they took their seats wordlessly after shaking the host's hand.

"So, Sora, Kairi, I understand you're both from Destiny Islands?" Zidane asked after the crowd's cheers died down. Sora squinted through the studio's bright lights in attempts to locate his brother, whom he finally found in the middle of the front row. Roxas' lips were pursed into a tight line, and he shook his head with a frightened expression.

Translation: _You're on your own, bro._

Sora groaned.

"That's, uh…" he stammered in attempts to answer the host's question. Kairi began massaging his hand with her thumb and sent him a soft smile. Sora took a deep breath and nodded. "That's correct."

"And I hear that you two are the second pair of keyblade bearers on the show this season," Zidane announced excitedly, earning a few shrieks and cheers from the crowd.

Sora's lips turned upward into a relieved smile. Keyblade training. This was something he could talk about.

"Yes, we are, and we're honoured to be a part of this thrilling experience," Sora said, remembering to refer to him and Kairi as one. His confidence became more evident in his voice, and Kairi nodded proudly. "Shout out to our masters Ventus and Aqua on Destiny Islands!" Sora then shouted whilst waving towards the camera placed directly to his right.

"Yeah, that's my boy!" Ventus cheered with a mouth full of popcorn.

"And how long have you been studying the art of keyblade wielding?" Zidane asked once the applause faded.

"Since we were fourteen," Kairi answered whilst gracefully crossing her legs in a ladylike fashion.

"So would you say you two have a high chance of winning this season?" Zidane asked.

"I'd say we have a decent chance," Kairi answered modestly, not wanting to come across as cocky in front of their viewers.

"Are there any strengths or weaknesses that we should be made aware of?" Zidane then asked.

"Weaknesses?" Sora repeated.

_Think of the cheesiest answer possible,_ he reminded himself. He frantically looked around the set, desperate for an answer, until he came across Kairi's eyes, her nose, then her deliciously red mouth.

"Kairi's lips, of course," Sora answered with tinted cheeks as the audience sighed lovingly. Kairi turned away from him, trying her hardest to _not_ laugh. From the front row, Roxas gave his brother a thumbs up while Axel cackled maniacally from behind.

Back on Destiny Islands, Aqua desperately tried to calm down Ventus who was rolling on the floor whilst laughing uncontrollably.

"Aww, that's adorable," said Zidane. "There's nothing sweeter and deadlier than a woman's lips, am I right?"

"Sure?" Sora squeaked with uncertainty.

"So how exactly did you two meet?" Zidane asked after he leaned back in his seat.

Sora laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. They were back to the lying business, and he had already forgotten the cheesy answer he had rehearsed with his brother weeks before; however, he did recall that it was the truth, so he went with it and sugarcoated nothing to remain genuine.

"Well, in all honesty, we've been best friends practically since birth, so we met really young, therefore I can't exactly remember," Sora admitted wholeheartedly. The audience chuckled amusedly, as did Kairi.

"Well, that's reassuring," Kairi teased. More chuckles.

"Do _you_ remember?" Sora challenged, looking at his 'girlfriend' with skittish eyes.

Kairi turned red. "W-well, not _exactly_, but-"

"_Exactly_," Sora pointed out while tweaking her nose.

Zidane leaned back in his seat with crossed arms and a smirk, admiring the playful camaraderie between the two. "So how long have you two been dating?"

Sora and Kairi immediately stopped their bantering and shared a look of panic. One look at her best friend told Kairi that he didn't know how to respond, so she tried to answer for him.

"Two years."

"Six months," they blurted out simultaneously.

Sora cleared his throat and looked directly at Zidane to clarify. "Two years and six months." The fake couple inwardly sighed in relief when the audience bought their unrehearsed lie.

"And if you don't mind me asking, how did this relationship first come to be?" Zidane asked, his chin resting on his hands in curiosity.

Sora gulped as he locked eyes with Kairi. His first answer was stolen, and the way the question was worded ("_first came to be"_) brought back unwanted but beautiful memories.

The first time Sora asked out Kairi, they were sixteen. It was, if anything, simplicity at its dorkiest. One day after school, when Sora had mustered the courage to _finally_ ask out his best girl friend, he took her out to their play island and planned to ask her out on the way there. Sora figured that being in the middle of the ocean meant no escape, so any answer, good or bad, was definite.

But of course, nervous as he was, Sora managed to capsize the boat in the middle of stammering the question; however, when they emerged from the watery depths of the ocean, Kairi threw her arms around his neck and nodded whilst laughing at his failed attempt to be romantic.

Sora shook his head at the memory. There was _no way_ he was going to use that, and judging by the pleading look on Kairi's face, she agreed. It was much too personal to share.

_Well, then what?_ Sora asked himself. He had nothing, and neither did Kairi. The obnoxious ticks of the wall clock intimidated him, and each second that went by was a viewer lost. He had to come up with something, _anything_, and fast.

He could feel his palms getting sweatier, and he was certain Kairi noticed. She tightened her grip on him, and this was when Sora found his answer. He quickly glanced at her wrist and saw that she was wearing the cute plastic bracelet that she received from the Kinder Surprise he bought her before they left for Twilight Town.

A new wave of confidence hit Sora as he grinned madly and threw an arm around his 'girlfriend'. "Well you see, Zidane, Kairi _really_ likes Kinder Surprises. They've been her favourite since she was a child."

Kairi sighed in relief and nodded. That much was true, but where was he going with this?

"So when we were sixteen," Sora continued, "I bought her a Kinder Surprise, and instead of a toy, inside the chocolate egg was a note asking her to go out with me."

The crowd broke out into cheers and screams, and Kairi couldn't help but blush. Given how much Sora truly knew about her, it was such a beautiful, believable lie. A beautiful, believable lie that she wished wasn't actually a lie.

The remainder of the interview proved itself uneventful. Zidane asked a question, and Sora would respond with mostly one-word answers. Things weren't looking good for them in the remembrance department –that is, until Zidane asked them what their favourite song was.

Sora gave Kairi a knowing, excited look, and she reciprocated it almost instantly. Roxas turned to look at Axel with a hopeful expression, and the pyromaniac merely nodded with crossed arms and a smug expression. Up in the control room, Demyx was already on it.

"Okay, can I just say something crazy?" Kairi asked enthusiastically after a familiar and catchy tune began to play on the speakers.

"I love crazy," Sora responded with a small grin, playing along.

And suddenly, they were back in Kairi's living room, singing and dancing along to Disney's _Frozen _(their most recent obsession) like wild maniacs. With absolutely no shame whatsoever, Sora and Kairi danced across the set with over exaggerated movements and on tune—albeit obnoxiously loud—singing voices.

"I mean it's crazy," Sora began.

"What?" Kairi asked as she sat next to him on Zidane's desk.

"We finish each other's-"Sora started.

"_Sea-salt ice cream bars_!" Kairi interrupted playfully as she hopped off the desk to run elsewhere.

"That's what I was gonna say!" Sora claimed as he ran after her.

And as if it were rehearsed, Sora resumed their cheesy choreography and pulled an epic finale by dipping his best friend, in which he got a perfect view of her succulent neck and heaving chest. With rosy cheeks, he slowly pulled her back up to her two feet and saw that her eyes were wide with excitement and that her lips were curved into a thrilled smile. Her hair was slightly messier than usual, but it somehow still managed to frame her face perfectly. Sora felt his breath hitch in his throat. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

"Can I say something crazy?" an extensively entertained Zidane then asked once the song and deafening cheers came to a close. "Our time's up."

* * *

"Target acquired. I repeat, target acquired. Do you copy, Porcupine?"

"I copy, Red Riding Hood. What are your findings on the enemy?"

"They're located behind the hallway on the left. They're slowly approaching as we speak armed with nerf guns and pillow shields."

"What do you suggest our attack plan is?"

"I'm going to flank in from the right and take out as many as I can. When I'm down, reveal yourself and finish them off."

"But Kai –Red Riding Hood, you can't make that sacrifice!"

On the walkie-talkie, Sora heard Kairi fake a sniffle. "It's the only way, Porcupine."

Sora gulped. "I –I love you, Kairi."

"Aww, I love you too, Sora. Now let's do this. Autobots, roll out!" she commanded with her best Optimus Prime impression. From behind the couch, Sora heard Kairi's swift and light footsteps against the hardwood floor, a nerf gun being loaded, and a girlish scream.

"Naminé!" Axel scolded. "Kairi's attacking! Now is not the time to be screaming!"

"That wasn't me!" claimed the high-pitched voice of the artist. "It was Roxas!"

Sora could practically see Axel rolling his eyes.

"There she is! Fire at will! Move move move!" Axel ordered once he located his sister. Sounds of nerf bullets being fired simultaneously and running filled the air, but everything went deadly silent after ten seconds. Sora's heart stopped.

"Man down! Man down!" Kairi shrieked. Sora dramatically loaded a mag of six bullets into his weapon. It was time.

"He's behind the couch!" he heard Roxas yell, but it was too late. By the time his brother had figured it out, Sora was already halfway over the couch, tumbling in the air. When he landed, he smirked and took aim. Screams filled the air, and the opposing team was down within five seconds.

"Victory!" Sora declared, raising his hands in the air. Kairi rose from the dead and began doing a battle cry alongside her partner.

"Well I think that concludes stealth training for today," Roxas said as he uncurled from his fetal position.

"You're just saying that because you got your ass whipped," Sora teased.

"I was simply caught off guard," Roxas claimed defensively.

"Okay, Roxas, okay," Kairi teased unconvincingly as she cleaned the mess in the living room.

"So, Axel, are you staying here for the night?" Roxas asked, obviously directing the topic away from his dishonorable cowardice.

"Nah, I gotta head out," the older teen said as he rose from the couch. "Meeting Demyx and a few old friends for a drink at eleven."

"It's eleven twenty-three," Naminé pointed out.

Axel clasped his hands together and ran for the door. "Then that means go time for me, and nap time for you little tikes. You have a big day ahead of you. Demyx and I won't exactly be there to help you this time round."

"Thank you for your concern," Kairi said as she bowed before her older brother and opened the door courteously. Just as he walked past the doorframe, he stopped and turned to look down at his little sister for a good five seconds.

"What?" Kairi asked amidst the silence.

Axel sighed and ran a hand through his fiery red spikes. "You know I'm not good at this kind of stuff."

Roxas, Sora, and Naminé _aww_'d as Kairi chuckled and threw her arms around her lanky older brother. The moment bore a strong resemblance to her high school graduation two months ago, minus the cap and gown.

"Be careful, okay?" the pyromaniac said as he pulled away from their embrace. While Kairi nodded, Axel turned his sights to Sora. "You better take care of her in there, got it memorized?"

"Yes sir," Sora answered with a playful salute. After bidding everyone farewell, the older teen went off on his merry way, leaving the hotel room in silence once again.

"So, I guess we should all head off to sleep," Roxas suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and went their separate ways. Just as Kairi was about to enter the room she shared with Naminé, Sora grabbed her wrist, unsure why he had done so in the first place. Perhaps it was just an excuse to feel their hands touch again, perhaps not.

"Yes?" Kairi asked, certain that Sora could feel her quickening pulse under his grasp.

Sora merely shook his head and smiled toothily at her. "Nothing. Good night, Iri. I'll see you in the morning."

Kairi nodded and shut the door behind her. When she threw herself on her side of the bed, she mentally scolded herself for expecting anything more than Sora's hand on her wrist. What was supposed to happen? Was he supposed to scoop her up in his arms and fall for her again after lying to the entire galaxy earlier that night? Were they supposed to walk away hand in hand into the sunset without a care in the world?

Kairi squished her cheeks in between her hands and emitted a long awaited sigh. Of course things weren't going to sway that way. Their mission was simple: get the money, get out. That's all there was to it.

* * *

At two thirty in the morning, Sora lay in bed wide-awake.

Sleep had been evading him for the last few hours, and he very well knew why. What was he thinking when he thought that he and Kairi were going to leave this competition unscathed? The show had barely even started and already he was in danger of screwing things up because of _feelings_; feelings that he didn't understand and feelings that weren't supposed to get in the way because he had been down that road before. Disappointing his best friend wasn't something he exactly enjoyed, nor willed to accept.

Sora sat up, careful not to wake his brother who was fast asleep on his respective side, and rubbed his eyes. He was thinking too much, and the cure for thinking too much in the middle of the night awaited him in the kitchen.

He quietly shut the bedroom door behind him and tiptoed towards the kitchen, only to find something interesting along the way. In the living room, the only source of light was the plasma screen, and there was only one occupant on the couch directly in front of it. On the coffee table was a plate of chocolate chip cookies and two glasses –one filled with milk, the other empty. Sora laughed to himself and joined the other occupant on the couch.

"So you knew I was coming," he said as he poured milk into his empty glass. He was well aware that he was feeding his earlier predicament, but he just couldn't help it. Above all else, she was his best friend, and she was the one he found the most comfort in.

"I had a feeling," Kairi admitted with a slight grin as she munched on her cookie. She sprawled her legs across his lap, as per usual, and continued to watch the re-run of the live interviews that aired earlier that night as Sora stiffened next to her.

He nearly choked on his drink at the sight. "We're dorks, aren't we?"

Kairi laughed lightheartedly as she watched Sora pick her up effortlessly and twirl her on set. "Yeah, but we're the second most adored dorks in the competition."

Sora raised a curious eyebrow. "Second? Who the heck could beat our over exaggerated cover from _Frozen_?"

"Riku and Xion," Kairi informed, her face void of all emotion. Sora's lips pressed into a thin, straight line.

"A pure heart, Sora," Kairi reminded, and Sora nodded. Instead of dwelling on the subject and stressing himself out even more, he decided to take the easy way out and made jokes about it instead to preserve the purity of his keyblade.

"Come on Kairi, I think we all know why he ranked first," he said as he threw an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. "It's because he's secretly a Sunsilk model," he whispered into her ear.

She laughed and hit him playfully on the chest. Riku's manhood had just been insulted behind his back.

"Sora!" she scolded.

"What?" he asked amidst her giggles. "There is no way his hair is naturally like that! It is _flawless_. He must condition religiously because _damn son_."

"_Stop_," Kairi chuckled, her hands still resting on his chest. They stayed that way for a while, basking in each other's presence with nothing but the TV light to illuminate them. Sora breathed in her refreshing tropical scent while Kairi gazed into the ocean that was Sora's eyes.

"Hey," she whispered against the muffled sounds of the television, wrinkling his shirt with her closed fists in the process.

"Hey," he whispered back.

"Your breath stinks," Kairi confessed shamelessly.

Sora rolled his eyes with a slight grin. "Gee, thanks."

"No, but seriously," Kairi said as she brought their foreheads together. "Can you promise me something?"

"Anything that doesn't involve spiders," Sora answered, "because you already know."

"Yes Sora, I am very well aware of your irrational fear of spiders," said Kairi. "But we're getting off topic. Point is I want you to promise me that, no matter what happens in this competition, that we'll still be best friends."

"Of course," Sora answered as if it were the easiest question in the world.

"Promise?" Kairi asked again, unconvinced that Sora knew what the promise, and its consequences, insinuated.

"Promise," Sora answered, though with less firmness and certainty than before.

"All right," Kairi sang as she snuggled into him, dropping the subject. Confused, Sora sat there, unsure if he had just been tested or not. After a few minutes of contemplation, he heard Kairi exhale loudly before going limp in his arms. He let out a breathy chuckle; she had fallen asleep.

He pressed his lips to her forehead before falling into a peaceful sleep himself.

* * *

The following morning, Sora and Kairi stood in front of each other in an all white chamber dressed in dark uniforms with mild armour. On their shoulders were glowing pauldrons with two stripes of electric blue, the respective colour of their team. Kairi was in the middle of tying her bright red hair into a high ponytail when Sora spoke up.

"Hey," he said, the nervousness in his voice echoing throughout the empty chamber. He wanted to say something along the lines of "I'll take care of you" to reinforce his protection, but he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, so he opted for the simple, "I got your back."

Kairi smiled as she tugged on her hair one last time. "And I got yours."

"Don't hold back," Sora said, smirking at her as if they were back on their training grounds back home.

"Oh I won't," Kairi promised while adjusting her protective gauntlet.

"_Competition will commence in T minus ten seconds_," said a monotonous, female voice on the intercom. Sora and Kairi were suddenly locked in place and were slowly being teleported into the game grid bit by bit.

"See you there," said Sora. Kairi nodded firmly before shutting her eyes as a blinding flash of white light blinded her momentarily. When she reopened them, she gasped and nearly fell at the sudden change of scenery, but her back hit something hard and broke her fall.

Kairi blushed when Sora held her by the elbows protectively. She decided to take in her surroundings as a distraction. For the most part, the arena looked simple enough. She looked upon a vibrant and untamed rainforest with some ominous looking plant life that fluoresced in unusual places, but apart from that, it looked doable. The competitors were placed in a straight line with Olette and Hayner to her left and Leon and Yuffie to her right. Tidus and Yuna were two couples down to her left, and Riku and Xion were at the very end on the right side. Kairi's eyes then zeroed in on one of the spherical floating cameras flying by them and looked directly into it. Sora's arms sneakily snaked around her waist, completely aware of the camera's presence, and tightened his grip when he felt her tense beneath him.

"It's okay," he whispered into her ear even when the camera flew away. "I got you."

When the countdown began, Kairi sighed and leaned into her 'boyfriend' for support. _And the falling begins…_

**tbc**

* * *

I shamelessly admit that my KH rendition of Frozen's _Love is An Open Door_ (which I obviously do _not_ own) was based on a true story. My friend and I do strange things when we're waiting for the next subway train.

Well, this was certainly a long chapter, wasn't it? It was a little disorganized in its construction, so I apologize if some things seem off. I personally dislike some parts, but I just wanted to get to the good and exciting portion, lol.

I left the uniform design very broad so that you could use your imagination. Knock yourselves out. I might actually mention this in the next chapter, but if I don't, I'll let you know here: _**Survival of the Cutest**_** has five rounds in total.** After the first round, which eliminates two couples in total, one couple gets eliminated in every round by coming in last place, and the final round will contain the top five couples.

So recently, one of my laptops (I have three, lol: a PC for Sims like a loser, another PC for fanfiction and video editing, and a Macbook Retina for school) died because the battery sucks complete and total ass. Unfortunately, it was my fanfiction laptop, so before it said goodnight I screamed and immediately saved the folder with all the fanfiction on a USB. I didn't even go for the school stuff. DAT DEDICATION DOE. Lol but it's okay now, I just got a new charger, so it's literally like a patient hooked onto an IV. It may or may not die again. Let's hope it doesn't! Long live the fanfiction!

Special thanks to: **asb227, Crush-chan17, Nightwing2593, Q-A the Authoress, EternallySky, X-Crepuscule, Heeygurlitsme, the V-Blade,** and **Crimson Daydreamer** for reviewing the last chapter! It's so nice to see familiar usernames reviewing from the Masquerade to Teenage Wasteland era, and seeing new usernames consistently reviewing! Thanks so much guys! And thank you to the people who put this story on alert/faved it! I appreciate the support!

Well, I should probably get some sleep now and get started on my essay asap. Darn university. Please kindly leave a review to give me an insight on your thoughts and/or feels, I'm sorry for any grammatical errors that I might have missed, and thank you so much for reading!

**Kyorii**

**PS.** Who immediately caught the _Frozen_ reference?  
**PSS.** Who caught the _Mulan_ reference?


End file.
